Manchester City VS Bournemouth AFC, hosts are favorites

Team News Guardiola has made free prediction clear that he will give as many of his first-team players the night off as possible on Thursday. That is not to say the Citizens will not still have world-class talents in their ranks, though, with Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte in need of minutes after being forced to miss training following a positive coronavirus test. Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko are out of action until after the international break, meanwhile, so Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy may have to be used in the full-back positions. The likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Bernardo Silva have all been ruled out. As for Bournemouth, Junior Stanislas missed the Middlesbrough match through injury, but Tindall later revealed "it is nothing serious". Amir Begovic was drafted in for that draw, as were Dan Gosling and David Brooks, with Mark Travers and Lewis Cook joining Stanislas in dropping out of the XI. Tindall is expected to go with a strong starting lineup for this trip to the Etihad Stadium, even if Sunday's league meeting with Norwich City takes priority. Manchester City possible starting lineup: Steffen; Walker, Laporte, free soccer tips site Otamendi, Mendy; Fernandinho, Bernabe, Doyle; Mahrez, Delap, Torres Bournemouth possible starting lineup: Travers; Smith, Mepham, Kelly, Rico; Arter, L.Cook, Ofoborh; Brooks, King; Surridge If there is one thing City like more than winning the EFL Cup, it is beating third-round opponents Bournemouth. The Cherries knocked out Premier League side Crystal Palace on penalties in the last round, but this will surely be a test too far for Tindall's men. Pick: Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth AFC