Team News: Kevin De Bruyne benched, Zack Steffen named in Manchester City XI for Liverpool clash

Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is named on substitutes' bench for their FA Cup semi-final clash against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

After beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the Citizens will be looking to reach their third FA Cup final in the last decade with victory over Jurgen Klopp's side.

Pep Guardiola has made a total of seven changes to the side which started in Madrid on Wednesday, with Steffen, Nathan Ake, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus all coming into the first XI.

Both De Bruyne and Kyle Walker were injury doubts heading into this afternoon's game, but neither player are deemed fit to start, with the latter missing out entirely.

📋 TEAM NEWS IS IN! 📋

XI | Steffen, Cancelo, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko, Fernandinho (C), Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Jesus, Sterling

SUBS | Ederson, Dias, Gundogan, Laporte, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Delap, Lavia#ManCity | @HaysTechnology pic.twitter.com/St02EGyzIv

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 16, 2022

Although Ruben Dias is fit to feature, Guardiola has opted to start with John Stones and Ake at centre-back, with Aymeric Laporte dropping to the bench, while Joao Cancelo and Zinchenko will operate as the full-backs.

Steffen, who has played in three of City's four FA Cup ties this season, has been selected to start between the sticks ahead of first-choice stopper Ederson.

City captain Fernandinho will start in the pivot ahead of Rodri, and the Brazilian will be joined in centre-midfield by both Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden.

In attack, Guardiola has opted to select former Liverpool man Raheem Sterling along with Grealish and Jesus, while Riyad Mahrez – who is the current top scorer in this season's FA Cup with four goals in three appearances – is named on the bench.