Manchester City begin the defence of the 2026/27 English League Cup at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday, with Norwich City arriving from the Championship after already negotiating two rounds. Enzo Maresca’s side have found momentum after an early setback to Arsenal, but the cup opener is set to bring a heavily altered home lineup.
Key takeaways
- City face Norwich on 17 September at 15:30 Brasília time in the third round.
- The holders have won five consecutive matches since losing the English Super Cup final against Arsenal.
- Erling Haaland is expected to be rested, while Phil Foden starts a three-match ban.
- Brazilian pair Vitor Reis and Allan could be handed places in Maresca’s starting side.
- Norwich, coached by Philippe Clement, reached this stage through the competition’s first two rounds.
Rotation in Manchester
The Etihad fixture offers City their first League Cup outing of the campaign, while Norwich come north after a longer route from England’s second tier. The visitors will attempt to take advantage of a night when City are likely to protect several regular starters.
Maresca has indicated that changes are unavoidable amid the pressure of fixtures and injuries. “There will certainly be some alterations for different reasons,” he said. “With so many games and injuries, players need recovery time. We will need them for major matches later on.”
Haaland is among those expected to sit out. Foden, meanwhile, is unavailable after his dismissal in Sunday’s Manchester derby against Manchester United, with Thursday marking the opening match of a three-game suspension.
There could be a notable opportunity for two former Palmeiras players. Centre-back Vitor Reis is in contention to start, as is midfielder Allan, a summer arrival who has yet to make his City debut.
Teams and match details
City’s encouraging run followed their defeat to Arsenal in the English Super Cup decider. They have since recorded four Premier League victories and one Champions League win, giving Maresca a strong platform as the domestic cup defence begins.
| Match | Details |
|---|---|
| Competition | English League Cup, third round |
| Fixture | Manchester City v Norwich City |
| Date and time | 17 September, 15:30 Brasília time |
| Venue | Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England |
Manchester City are expected to line up with Rulli; Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Guehi and Lewis; Kovacic, Bouaddi and Allan; Ndiaye, Ait-Nouri and Semenyo. Maresca is the coach.
Norwich’s likely team is Grimshaw; Stacey, McConville, Cordoba and Chrisene; Wright, Mattsson and Maghoma; Schwartau, Musaba and Makama. Philippe Clement leads the visitors.
SEO title: Manchester City v Norwich: Maresca plans League Cup rotation
SEO description: Manchester City host Norwich in the English League Cup third round, with Enzo Maresca expected to rest key players and consider starts for Vitor Reis and Allan.
