Man City vs Manchester United LIVE early team news plus how to watch and kick off time

Donnarumma to start?

Donnarumma was one of the first off the City bus and Trafford one of the last.

So read into that what you will. We could tell from Onana’s body language at Fulham that he would be staying on the bench that day.

United have two No.2s

United’s kit men and their outgoing analyst, Paul Brand, have been out for their pre-match prep. Amorim referenced the “different ball” goalkeepers have to deal with in the Premier League. Any ball that heads in Bayindir’s direction could go past him and the conditions today are particularly tricky for goalies.

City have two No.1s and could have the best goalkeeper in the world between the sticks. United have two No.2s. The most important positions in a team are in goal and up front and there are still question marks about both at United.

Cunha, Mount and Dalot will be absent

Amorim will be without Cunha, Mount and Dalot this afternoon. At least two of those players would have been starters. It felt like only a matter of time before Cunha scored his first goal for the club, so it was a huge shame to see him go off with an injury against Burnley before the international break. Mount has started each Premier League game down the middle this season. Amorim has said United need Cunha and Mount to be "competitive."

Mainoo and Sesko would be logical starters

Mainoo and Sesko would be logical starters today but you can’t be certain both will. It would create more of a fuss around Mainoo, who was mentioned repeatedly at Amorim’s Friday press conference, if he is on the bench again despite the absence of Mount and Cunha.

Amorim also admitted he didn’t know if United had the right midfield partner for Mainoo. He has excelled next to Casemiro but his axis with Ugarte has been anything but a success. It would cause ructions if Ugarte somehow started ahead of Mainoo today.

City confirm Hatton tributes

City will pay tribute to boxer Ricky Hatton ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby after he was found dead on Sunday morning at the age of 46.

There will be a minute's applause before kick-off as the Etihad pays its respects to the former world champion and lifelong Blue, who never hid his affection and support for City.

Both sets of players will also wear black armbands as the stadium remembers one of Manchester's greatest sportsmen.

The Hitman was a two-weight world champion and had a devoted following of fans as one of the best and most charismatic fighters this country has ever produced.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: "Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man.

Read the full story here.

Hatton tribute to be confirmed

We are still waiting for City to confirm any planned tributes to Ricky Hatton today, but it is sure to be an emotional occasion before kick-off. The 46-year-old never hid his affection for City but he was a legend across Manchester as well, as one of the most successful and charismatic boxers this country has ever produced. There will be plenty of fans in the home end and the away end who have been to Hatton fights. He was an everyman who inspired a devoted following and nowhere was that more the case than in Manchester.

Rain is coming down in Manchester

Non-stop rain on the walk from the CFA to the Etihad, so we are graced with the appropriate derby weather.

The outcome of today shouldn’t surprise anyone. You could see United beating City or City battering United. The build-up for these games has subsided in recent years, with the odd exception of the back-to-back FA Cup finals, and there is a danger that both clubs could be considered Premier League also rans before the clocks have gone back.

For United, it will be curious to see if they continue without Benjamin Sesko or start him. The injuries to Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount give Amorim the chance but United have actually looked quite promising in their strikerless formation, albeit they have scored one goal from open play in 270 minutes.

The derby intrigue 2,000 miles away

At around 6pm tonight most of the football chatter will be focused on the closing stages of the Manchester derby.

City vs United continues to be a blockbuster Premier League fixture and the fallout from the contest will be significant, irrespective of who comes out on top.

But, as the players leave the field at the Etihad Stadium, there will be a piece of the Manchester derby playing out more than 2,000 miles away.

Istanbul will be the setting for two debuts that will attract the attention of United and City fans.

Here's why

How the table looks

It's United who are ahead in the early standings with the Reds having four points from three games following their last gasp win over Burnley in the final match before the international break.

City meanwhile started the campaign in fine fashion with a 4-0 win at Wolves but back to back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton mean Pep Guardiola's side are in the bottom half of the table, a point behind their city rivals.

It's the first time City went have gone into the derby behind United in the table since December 2020, when the Blues were eighth and United seventh.

That derby at Old Trafford finished 0-0, let's hope for some goals at least this afternoon.

'We miss him'

City looked to have put last season's struggles behind them with a commanding win over Wolves on the opening day of the season, but back-to-back Premier League defeats suggest there could be more tough times ahead.

Of the 41 games City have played since the start of last season, Phil Foden has started fewer than half of them, and Guardiola believes his absence could be one of the reasons for City's struggles.

Read what he said here >>>

Sesko to start?

Benjamin Sesko is yet to make his full league debut for United since his big-money move from RB Leipzig.

That being said, he has featured in every United game so far this season, coming off the bench against Arsenal, Fulham and Burnley, while he played the full 90 minutes and converted a penalty in the shootout in the defeat to Grimsby.

Amorim was asked at his pre-match press conference on Friday whether Sesko could be thrown in from the start today, and his reply hinted at his plan for the derby.

Read what he said here >>>

How should United line up?

Much like Guardiola, Amorim will be without a number of key players for the derby, with Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot all out.

Long-term absentee Lisandro Martinez is still sidelined after suffering an ACL injury, but it's hoped his comeback is on the horizon.

Will Benjamin Sesko get a full league debut today? Will Kobbie Mainoo get his chance in midfield?

See how our writers think United should line up here >>>

How should City line up?

Pep Guardiola has injury issues to contend with for today's game.

City will be without Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Omar Marmoush and Mateo Kovacic, while John Stones is a doubt for the derby.

Guardiola has some huge calls to make as City look to put their recent troubles behind them.

See how our writers think City should line up here >>>

How to watch the game

Today's game will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

Kick off is at 4.30pm with coverage starting at 4pm following Burnley's clash with Liverpool.

If you don't have access to Sky Sports you can follow all of the action here with us in our live blog.

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