According to a report by London Evening Standard on Wednesday November 4, 2026, Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed his starting lineup for the UEFA Champions League clash against RB Leipzig, with Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki both handed starting roles.

However, captain Ruben Dias has been dropped to the bench, while Erling Haaland leads the attack as the visitors look to return to winning ways.

City travel to Germany hoping to secure an important European victory after suffering consecutive Premier League defeats against Aston Villa and Brighton. Maresca's side have collected six points from their opening three Champions League matches following victories over Porto and AEK Athens, alongside a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Italian manager has made several selection decisions for the encounter, with Antoine Semenyo remaining the club's only absentee. The forward is recovering from a knee injury and is expected to remain unavailable until December.

In defence, Gianluigi Donnarumma retains his position in goal. Matheus Nunes starts at right-back, while Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi occupy the central defensive positions. Rayan Ait-Nouri misses out on a starting place as Nico O'Reilly takes up the left-back position.

Ruben Dias is among the substitutes, with Maresca opting to bring Guehi back into the starting lineup. The decision means the Portuguese defender will have to watch from the sidelines when the match begins.

In midfield, Nico Gonzalez is not included in the starting selection, as Nico O'Reilly's teammates Anderson and Mateo Fernandez provide support in the middle alongside Cherki. The French playmaker is expected to contribute creatively as City search for attacking opportunities.

Foden also earns a starting position after showing encouraging form in recent appearances. The England international scored a hat-trick in City's previous Champions League outing against AEK Athens and will be hoping to produce another influential performance.

Haaland captains the side and leads the attack, with Phil Foden and Iliman Ndiaye providing attacking support. The Norwegian will be determined to add to his impressive European goalscoring record.

Manchester City Confirmed Starting Lineup:

Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Fernandez, Cherki; Foden, Ndiaye, Haaland.