How Man City players will react to team changes ahead of Real Madrid clash

Joleon Lescott says Manchester City potentially playing a rotated side against Everton will keep the minds of players “focused” ahead of their Champions League second leg with Real Madrid on Wednesday.

City take home a 1-1 draw against Los Blancos after Kevin De Bruyne’s tenth goal of the season cancelled out Vinicius Junior’s first-half strike. Everton are battling relegation but are a banana skin for City in their Premier League title race.

The Toffees produced a masterful display to hammer high-flying Brighton 5-1 on Monday evening to give them renewed confidence ahead of their meeting with City at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.

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As a result, Guardiola may opt to rotate some of his key players in the starting XI, as was the case in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Leeds United. Lescott believes this will actually help the Blues remain match-sharp ahead of the visit of Madrid.

Speaking on BT Sport, he said: “I think that helps Man City. They’re used to that over recent years, that rotation. No one’s getting dropped, no one feels like they’re out of it for any spell because they’re playing for so much and there’s so much at stake.

“If you look at the game at the weekend [against Leeds] he made six or seven changes but them players know they have to win and have to perform. I think that helps City’s mindset stay focused.”

Rio Ferdinand warned that Madrid can turn on the heat despite being away from home in next week’s return leg, adding: “I think also the experience of this team, Real Madrid, they will not be going there with any type of fear or anxiety - any of those feelings - at all.

“They’ll bounce into that stadium with a swagger of saying we can come here and win this