Manchester City – Tottenham: Preview and Highest Odds

Both sides are sweating over the fitness of key players ahead of Sunday’s final, with Manchester City hoping for positive news on Kevin De Bruyne and Tottenham waiting on Harry Kane. De Bruyne limped off in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea but is now back in training, with his twisted ankle proving less serious than first feared. The Belgian should be fit to feature if needed, while Sergio Aguero could also be in contention having returned to training this week too – although the Argentine’s injury problems throughout the season mean that he is likely to have to make do with a place on the bench at best. Guardiola admitted in his pre-match press conference that he will have one eye on “more important” games in the Champions League and Premier League, suggesting that he could make a number of changes for this match. John Stones will definitely miss out through suspension following his red card against Aston Villa last time out, while Zack Steffen will feature in goal instead of Ederson. Raheem Sterling appears to have fallen out of favour in the biggest games, but Guardiola’s suggestion that he will prioritise the upcoming Champions League semi-final means that the winger could get a start here. The likes of Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho and Benjamin Mendy will also be pushing for starting roles after missing out in midweek.Tottenham are much more likely to name their strongest possible XI, although whether or not that will include Kane is a situation Mason is tracking “hour by hour”. The England skipper is not yet back in training after picking up an ankle injury against Everton, though, and Mason has insisted that he will not risk Kane’s fitness for the sake of one game, even if it is a final. Mason opted for Lucas Moura to lead the line in Kane’s absence in midweek, and that could again be the choice this weekend, with Son and Bale – the latter of whom has directly contributed to 11 goals in his last 11 starts for Spurs – in support. Mourinho’s departure could be welcome news for the likes of Harry Winks and Dele Alli, although their lack of game time this season could prevent them from being thrown straight into the mix from the start on Sunday. Alongside Kane, Matt Doherty is Tottenham’s only other injury doubt, while Ben Davies is definitely sidelined.