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Manchester City to field academy team against Bournemouth

By J.C. Gonzalez

Manchester City's English midfielder Tommy Doyle reacts during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on July 8, 2020. (Photo by LEE SMITH / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by LEE SMITH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester City's English midfielder Tommy Doyle reacts during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on July 8, 2020. (Photo by LEE SMITH / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by LEE SMITH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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As Manchester City open up their quest for a fourth straight Carabao Cup, they will rely heavily on youth.

Manchester City having a depleted squad is a very rare sight for supporters in recent times, given the remarkable amount of depth the first team possesses. However, in Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over Wolves to open their Premier League season, several key names were left out of the matchday squad due to injury or COVID-19 related concerns.

After the match, Pep Guardiola announced that his team would rely heavily on their academy for their upcoming Carabao Cup match against recently relegated Bournemouth in midweek.

"“We won the Carabao Cup three times in a row and we would like to continue,” Guardiola said. “We don’t have the players, in this period, to play every three days.”"

While this will surely decrease City’s chances of winning the trophy for a fourth consecutive season, tying an all-time English record, it is a smart decision from Guardiola to prioritize the Premier League while also giving younger players a chance.

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I would hope to see all of City’s youngsters that made the bench for the match against Wolves, including Zack Steffen, Adrián Bernabé, Liam Delap, Tommy Doyle, and a full taste of Ferran Torres. Jayden Braaf would also be a tantalizing addition if he were given the chance to make his first-team debut after training with the main side following the restart.

Nevertheless, this could be a difficult ask for City, but I believe this is the correct choice.  Nearly every top team makes more rotations in the Carabao Cup than City typically do, given Guardiola’s burning desire to win every trophy and every match, but seeing the future of the club will be an exciting opportunity.

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