Manchester City vs. Huddersfield Town: Carabao Cup Preview
Manchester City is set to embark on their journey in the 2025-26 Carabao Cup with a third-round matchup against Huddersfield Town, a League One outfit. This fixture will take place at the Accu Stadium on Wednesday evening. Coach Pep Guardiola’s squad has recently faced a daunting schedule, featuring a Champions League contest against Napoli and a tricky Premier League assignment against Manchester United, followed by a visit to Arsenal. The pressing calendar has drawn concerns from Guardiola and his players about fatigue, yet the games keep arriving thick and fast.
As is customary for teams involved in multiple competitions, Guardiola is likely to implement some squad rotation for this cup tie, especially with a Premier League clash against Burnley looming just around the corner.
On the other hand, Huddersfield is approaching this match with some momentum, having knocked out a Premier League side, Sunderland, in the last round through a penalty shootout at the Stadium of Light. Currently, Huddersfield sits fourth in League One, accumulating 16 points from nine matches this season. However, their recent performances have left something to be desired, as they have not claimed a victory in their last two outings—drawing against Burton Albion and suffering a loss to Bradford City.
Match Details
Here’s everything fans need to know before the cup showdown:
- Match Timing: Scheduled for Wednesday, September 24, at 7:45 PM BST (2:45 PM ET; 12:15 AM IST on Monday; 4:45 AM AEST on Monday).
- Venue: Accu Stadium, Huddersfield
- Referee: Michael Salisbury
- VAR: Not in use
Team News
Huddersfield has reported no significant injury issues ahead of the game.
Manchester City will be without several players:
- Mateo Kovacic (M): Achilles tendon, OUT, estimated return early October
- Omar Marmoush (F): Knee, OUT, estimated return early October
- Rayan Cherki (M): Thigh, OUT, estimated return early November
- Rayan Ait-Nouri (D): Ankle, DOUBT
- Abdukodir Khusanov (D): Knock, DOUBT
- Nico O’Reilly (D): Knock, DOUBT
Projected Line-ups
Huddersfield:
- GK: Lee Nicholls
- RB: Lasse Sorenson | CB: Josh Feeney | CB: Joe Low | LB: Ruben Roosken
- DM: Ryan Ledson | DM: David Kasumu
- RW: Leo Casteldine | CAM: Alfie May | LW: Will Alves
- CF: Joseph Taylor
Manchester City:
- GK: James Trafford
- RB: Rico Lewis | CB: John Stones | CB: Josko Gvardiol | LB: Nathan Ake
- CM: Matheus Nunes | CDM: Nico Gonzalez | CM: Bernardo Silva
- RW: Oscar Bobb | CF: Phil Foden | LW: Savinho
Historical Context
Historically, Manchester City has been a dominant force within the League Cup, being the second-most successful club in its history with eight titles, including a remarkable four consecutive wins from 2018 to 2021. The Citizens have a storied rivalry with Huddersfield, with 81 encounters resulting in 29 City victories, 30 draws, and 22 losses. Notably, City has found the net 14 times in their last three competitive matches against Huddersfield.
In recent comments, Guardiola acknowledged the toll of the congested schedule on his players, particularly after the Arsenal match where a late equalizer deprived City of a potential victory. Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta also reaffirmed that Manchester City remains a formidable contender in the Premier League title race as the teams prepare for their next competitive battle.
