Manchester City begin the defence of their Carabao Cup title on Thursday night when they host Championship side Norwich City at the Etihad Stadium at 19:30 BST. Enzo Maresca’s side enter the third-round tie on the back of a 1-0 derby victory over Manchester United, aiming to secure a sixth consecutive win across all competitions before returning to Premier League duty against Sunderland this weekend. Faced with an unforgiving fixture schedule, Maresca is set to rotate heavily while preserving City’s established 4-2-3-1 tactical structure.
City’s reshuffled lineup combines deliberate squad management with forced absences. Phil Foden misses the encounter through suspension following his red card shown by referee Michael Oliver during the derby win on September 13, while Jérémy Doku remains unavailable. Key figures Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma are expected to be rested, clearing the path for summer arrival Gerónimo Rulli to make his first competitive start in goal since returning from Marseille. Fellow summer signing Allan is inline for his full debut, with defender Vitor Reis earning his first start of the campaign following a spell at Girona last season. Abdukodir Khusanov, Marc Guehi, Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovačić, and Rayan Bouaddi are all slated to feature as Maresca balances his options.
Norwich City enter the Etihad looking to execute a massive cup upset after progressing through two rounds of the competition. Philippe Clement’s side face a steep historical hurdle, having been eliminated in all four of their previous EFL Cup ties against Manchester City. The Canaries come into the match seeking momentum after a mixed start to their Championship season, recording three wins and four defeats from seven games, including a chaotic 4-3 defeat against Middlesbrough last time out.
Clement must navigate tonight’s contest without four squad members as Gabriel Forsyth, Mirko Topić, Ali Ahmed, and Lucien Mahovo are all sidelined with knee injuries. Consequently, Norwich have made multiple adjustments to their starting eleven, naming Daniel Grimshaw in goal while Jack Stacey drops to the substitutes’ bench alongside Angus McConville. The visitors line up with a defensive quartet of Fisher, captain Darling, Ferreira Alves, and Yongwa, anchored by Wright and Field in central midfield. Crnac, Ben Slimane, and Diallo operate behind main striker Kvistgaarden, with Kovačević, Chrisene, Mattsson, Maghoma, Schwartau, Musaba, and Touré providing backup among the substitutes.
Despite City entering the tie as overwhelming favourites, Clement’s naturally proactive setup promises an open contest against Maresca’s fresh-look side. The holders will rely on midfield control to dictate tempo, providing crucial game time for squad players while preserving their key starters for the domestic campaign ahead. Live coverage of the third-round clash will be broadcast on Sky Sports+ in the UK as both teams fight for a place in the next round.
