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Man City transfer news: How champions may line up on first day of the season
MANCHESTER CITY will be looking to defend the title in style, but how will line up in the first game of the season?
Champions City travel to Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season but they may have problems when putting out a defence.
John Stones, Fabian Delph and Kyle Walker were with England while Vincent Kompany was with Belgium and Benjamin Mendy with France last weekend at the World Cup.
All five will be unavailable for the first weekend of the season. Danilo picked up an ankle injury that ended his World Cup and it remains to be seen if he will be back fit in time.
If not Pep Guardiola may have to pick a back three with Nicolas Otamendia and Aymeric Laporte his only first team defenders available, with youngster Tosin Adarabioyo potentially coming into the side.
Guardiola could go with midfielders at full back if Oleksandr Zinchenko stays but up top they will still have a scary look about them.
New boy Riyad Mahrez is likely to get his City started after joining in a club-record fee from Leicester.
How will Manchester City line up against Arsenal?
City had several key players at the World Cup and may feel the burn in the opening weeks of the season.
Guardiola missed out on signing Jorginho but insists if he wanted to join Chelsea all along it would have been a mistake coming to City.
“No, I’m not disappointed,” he said. “We tried, but at the end all my advice for the players is that they have to go where they want to go.
“For the guy, it would have been a mistake for him and for us if he had decided to come here when he wanted to go with Maurizio and Chelsea.
“So it is important that English football has received an exceptional player and at the end if they want to come, it’s better they come.
“If he decides to go to Chelsea for the reasons he has explained or will explain, then all the best for him.”
Mahrez is the only player through the door so far leaving City looking light in midfield after Yaya Toure left in the summer and at full-back.