Man City lineup vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Predicted XI for Champions League clash including five changes

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola can be expected to make a fair few alterations when the Sky Blues host Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday's Champions League league-phase clash.

The Citizens return to European action on the back of a painful 2-1 Premier League loss to Newcastle United, but they have won each of their last seven matches at the Etihad across all competitions.

City will seek an eighth straight home victory without Mateo Kovacic and his calcified ankle, while 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri is also missing due to his latest thigh problem.

Guardiola still has plentiful options for change in the defensive and attacking thirds, though, and the Spaniard will likely consider recalls for Tijjani Reijnders and Savinho over Bernardo Silva and Rayan Cherki this week.

Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden should reprise their roles, though, and the same naturally goes for Erling Haaland, who has scored in each of his last five appearances in Europe's top competition.

Expect Nico Gonzalez to continue as the midfield anchor if Rodri misses out again, but Guardiola could ring the changes in defence, where Gianluigi Donnarumma and Josko Gvardiol may be the only starters retained from Saturday.

John Stones, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rico Lewis - absent entirely from the squad at St James' Park - can all bring fresh legs to the backline, which will be marshalled by Gianluigi Donnarumma once again.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Lewis, Stones, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez; Savinho, Reijnders, Foden, Doku; Haaland