Man City's strongest starting XI when every player is fit

It's been a perfect start to the season for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's side won their first UEFA Super Cup at the first time of asking; they are six for six in the Premier League and have made a winning start to their defence of the UEFA Champions League against Red Star Belgrade.

There was some scepticism about how City would attack the season when the likes of Riyad Mahrez and İlkay Gündoğan departed in the summer. These doubts were heightened when Kevin De Bruyne picked up a hamstring injury that will put him out of action until next year. The red card shown to Rodri against Nottingham Forest will see the team even weaker in the coming weeks.

However, the arrivals of Mateo Kovačić, Joško Gvardiol, Jérémy Doku and Matheus Nunes would've softened some of the blows. So, with that being said, MEN Sport takes a look at what Pep Guardiola's strongest XI could look like when everyone is available for full contention.

Goalkeeper — Ederson

Ederson has been a mainstay for City since he signed in 2017. Towards the end of last season, he was a vital cog in City achieving its treble.

At 30 years of age, many would experience a decline after so many years of high performance, but the Brazilian is seemingly entering his peak. And with Stefan Ortega to back him up, he will undoubtedly be pushed to his limits.

Defenders — Kyle Walker, John Stones, Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol

Last season was a real breakthrough for Manuel Akanji and Nathan Aké. They were high in the pecking order due to their positional versatility and availability. Akanji and Aké can both comfortably play at centre-back or full-back, however, out of all the current defensive options, the aforementioned pair are realistically only role players at best.