Spanish midfielder Rodri will make his first start in a City shirt this evening as City’s preseason tour of Asia gets under way against West Ham United in Nanjing.

Angelino, who re-signed for the Club two weeks ago after a one-year hiatus, also starts at left-back, as does promising young midfielder Tommy Doyle.

Doyle, just 17, is the grandson of Mike Doyle and Glyn Pardoe, both bonafide City legends.

David Silva captains the side, and Claudio Bravo and Aymeric Laporte also start.

They are supported by youngsters Lukas Nmecha, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Adrian Bernabe and Ian Poveda-Ocampo as Pep Guardiola looks to test the Club’s most promising EDS players.

City team

XI: Bravo, Danilo, Harwood-Bellis, Laporte, Angelino, Rodri, David Silva, Doyle, Bernabe, Poveda-Ocampo, Nmecha.

Subs: Grimshaw, Walker, Stones, Sterling, Gundogan, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Sane, Bernardo, Touaizi, Pozo, Aleix Garcia, Diounkou, Knight

West Ham team

City tactics

It may be an unfamiliar lineup, with a number of the Club’s young players given an opportunity to show what they can do, but the system and style isn’t for altering.

Guardiola’s methods rarely deviate. High-intensity, possession-based football played on the front foot. Tonight will be no different.

The usual 4-3-3 formation, so successful over the past two seasons, is once again utilised. Bravo is protected by Laporte and Harwood-Bellis, a player so impressive for the EDS last season. Danilo and Angelino will be charged with getting forward and adding quality in wide areas.

Rodri, Silva and Doyle will combine in the centre of midfield and there’s plenty of guile in that trio. 

Nmecha will lead the line, flanked by Poveda-Ocampo and Bernabe.

And in Manuel Pellegrini, a manager well known to all at City, Guardiola comes up against a man with the same principles. It should be an open game from the off.