Man City vs Man United - City duo Zinchenko and Gundogan set to return for Manchester derby

Posted Friday, December 06, 2019 by PA

Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ilkay Gundogan are back in contention as champions Manchester City host derby rivals Manchester United in the Premier League.

Left-back Zinchenko has been out since undergoing minor knee surgery in October while midfielder Gundogan missed the midweek win at Burnley through suspension.

The game comes too soon for striker Sergio Aguero (thigh) while defender Aymeric Laporte and winger Leroy Sane (both knee) are both long-term absentees.

Paul Pogba remains absent but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes Anthony Martial will be involved for United.

Pogba is building fitness having been out since September with an ankle injury, while Martial missed the midweek win against Tottenham with a knock picked up against Aston Villa. Solskjaer hopes to have the France forward for at least part of the game.

The United boss said Nemanja Matic was close to returning earlier in the week, while Eric Bailly, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Diogo Dalot are building fitness after injury.

Manchester City provisional squad: Ederson, Bravo, Walker, Cancelo, Stones, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Mendy, Angelino, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne, D Silva, B Silva, Sterling, Mahrez, Foden, Jesus.

Manchester United provisional squad: De Gea, Romero, Grant, Wan-Bissaka, Young, Jones, Laird, Lindelof, Tuanzebe, Maguire, Shaw, Williams, Fred, Garner, Gomes, McTominay, Matic, James, Lingard, Mata, Pereira, Chong, Greenwood, Martial, Rashford.