Man City vs. Brighton lineups confirmed: 16 changes as Guehi, Samba, Minteh, Wieffer decisions made for EFL Cup tie

By Oliver Thomas | 28 Oct 2026 18:23, Last updated: 28 Oct 2026 18:43

Enzo Maresca has made a full of 9 changes to his Manchester City starting lineup for tonight’s EFL Cup fourth-round necktie against Brighton & Hove Albion astatine the Etihad Stadium.

Only Marc Guehi and Rayan Cherki clasp their spot successful the archetypal XI from the City that suffered their archetypal Premier League decision of the play distant against Aston Villa (2-1) past weekend.

Despite coming nether occurrence for a fewer error-strewn performances, Guehi volition skipper the Citizens astatine the bosom of the defence successful the lack of Ruben Dias, who is one of 5 first-team stars rested on with Erling Haaland, Elliot Anderson, Josko Gvardiol and Gianluigi Donnarumma. Matheus Nunes, meanwhile, is inactive nursing an injury.

Vitor Reis volition play alongside Guehi astatine centre-back, arsenic Rico Lewis and Nico O'Reilly run arsenic full-backs successful a four-man defence protecting goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, who is starting conscionable his 2nd crippled since joining successful the summer.

Ayyoubi Bouaddi and Mateo Kovacic volition nexus arms successful centre-midfield arsenic Cherki astir apt operates successful the fig 10 role, portion Phil Foden and Allan volition inhabit wide positions.

With Haaland rested, 17-year-old Floyd Samba volition pb the enactment and volition beryllium looking to adhd to the 2 EFL Cup goals helium scored connected his elder debut successful City's 5-0 third-round triumph implicit Norwich past month.

Minteh, Wieffer instrumentality to Brighton squad arsenic Hurzeler makes 7 changes

As for Brighton, caput manager Fabian Hurzeler has made a full of 7 changes to the broadside that began the 2-0 decision astatine Liverpool successful the Premier League past Sunday.

Defender Olivier Boscagli and midfield trio Pascal Gross, Diego Gomez and Yasin Ayari are the lone 4 players who support their starting spots for the Seagulls.

Protecting Jason Steele betwixt the sticks, Boscagli, Michael Svoboda, Costinha and Jaouen Hadjam volition each enactment up successful the backmost four, portion Jack Hinshelwood is acceptable to run successful an precocious midfield relation up of skipper Gross and Ayari.

Gomez and Malick Yalcouye are acceptable to statesman retired wide, portion Georginio Rutter volition commencement up beforehand astatine the disbursal of Charalampos Kostoulas, who is Brighton's apical scorer successful each competitions with 5 goals.

Elsewhere, Brighton person been boosted by the instrumentality of Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer, who person recovered from semipermanent injuries and volition statesman connected the substitutes' bench.

Minteh is pushing to marque his archetypal quality of the play for the Seagulls, portion Wieffer has missed each of the past 9 matches successful each competitions. 

However, Ferdi Kadioglu and Chema Andres person been near retired of the matchday squad having failed to retrieve from hep problems picked up against Liverpool.

Manchester City starting lineup: Rulli; Lewis, Reis, Guehi, O’Reilly; Bouaddi, Kovacic; Foden, Cherki, Allan; Samba

Subs: Bettinelli, Ndiaye, Doku, Fernandez, Ait-Nouri, Khusanov, McAidoo, Braithwaite, Oliver

Brighton & Hove Albion starting lineup: Steele; Costinha, Svoboda, Boscagli, Hadjam; Gross, Ayari; Gomez, Hinshelwood, Yalcouye; Rutter

Subs: Verbruggen, Dunk, Minteh, Promise, Osman, Wieffer, De Cuyper, O'Riley, Vuskovic