City name 22 for Palermo friendly amid injuries and transfers

Manchester City names a 22-man squad for a Palermo friendly as key players are left out amid transfer and injury considerations.

Man City omit nine stars from Palermo friendly amid transfer and injury updates

Manchester City will travel to Italy with a 22-man squad for the friendly against Palermo, while nine players are not included. The group includes notable absences such as Jack Grealish, James McAtee and Stefan Ortega, with Grealish potentially easing out on loan and McAtee attracting interest from clubs in Germany and England. Ortega has slipped behind James Trafford in the goalkeeper pecking order after City signed the young stopper.

Rodri, Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol and Claudio Echeverri are also not travelling due to fitness concerns. Echeverri was injured at the Club World Cup, while Rodri is still being managed after a serious injury, though he did feature in recent United States fixtures. Kalvin Phillips and Mateo Kovacic are also missing from the squad due to injuries, and Nico O'Reilly is back in the party after missing open training with a knock. Young striker Divine Mukasa, a product of City’s academy who joined from West Ham in 2023, is included in the travelling party.

City’s decision to travel with a lean squad highlights a cautious approach to both fitness and transfer activity as the window moves forward. The absence of several regulars could test the group’s depth early in the season and put academy prospects like Mukasa in the spotlight. This setup also signals a broader pattern: clubs increasingly balance short-term results with longer-term development through rotations and loan moves.

The talk around Grealish and McAtee suggests City are pursuing a careful, strategic window, prioritizing agility over rigidity. If these players depart or shift roles, the squad could adapt by leaning on its emerging talents and newly arrived peers, shaping how City plans for its league opener and beyond.

Highlights

The season will test City’s balance between depth, development, and ambition.