Man City vs. Liverpool confirmed lineups: Huge Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak news, sky blue duo ruled out for FA Cup quarter-final

Mohamed Salah has been named in Liverpool’s starting lineup for this afternoon’s FA Cup quarter-final clash against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

The soon-to-be-departing Egyptian king missed the Reds’ 2-1 Premier League defeat at Brighton before the international break due to injury, but he is fit and available to begin on the right side of attack against the Citizens.

Head coach Arne Slot has made three changes in total to the side that started at the Amex Stadium, with Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones also recalled, as Jeremie Frimpong, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo all drop down to the substitutes’ bench.

Frimpong has recovered from an injury sustained on international duty with the Netherlands, but Gomez has been given the nod to start at right-back, joining Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez in a four-man defence protecting goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Jones is set to link up with Ryan Gravenberch in centre-midfield, with Dominik Szoboszlai operating as a number 10 and Florian Wirtz out on the left flank.

Liverpool fans hoped to have been boosted by the news that club-record signing Alexander Isak would return to the matchday squad for the first time since December 20 when he suffered a broken leg, but the Swedish striker has not been deemed ready to feature just yet.

Dias, Stones ruled out for Man City, Guehi replaces Ake

As for Man City, manager Pep Guardiola has made just one change to the side that beat Arsenal 2-0 in the EFL Cup final almost a fortnight ago.

Marc Guehi was ineligible for the Wembley showpiece, but he is back in defence for the Citizens and has replaced Nathan Ake. Abdukodir Khusanov will partner Guehi at centre-back.

While Ake has reverted to the bench, both Ruben Dias and John Stones have not recovered from injury issues to feature in City’s matchday squad this afternoon.

Cup goalkeeper James Trafford will continue between the sticks, while Matheus Nunes and Nico O'Reilly start again as full-backs, the latter of whom scored two second-half goals in the EFL Cup final.

Captain Bernardo Silva and Real Madrid-linked Rodri will begin in centre-midfield, while playmaker Rayan Cherki will hope to provide a creative spark in an advanced central role behind striker Erling Haaland, who has scored two goals in as many games against Liverpool this season.

Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku retain their starting spots on the flanks, so Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush and Savinho are among those who must settle for a place on the bench.

Manchester City starting lineup: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rodri, Bernardo; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland

Subs: Donnarumma, Reijnders, Ake, Marmoush, Kovacic, Gonzalez, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Foden

Liverpool starting lineup: Mamardashvili; Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez; Jones, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Ekitike

Subs: Woodman, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Gakpo, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Morrison, Ngumoha