Pep Guardiola strong lineup vs Fulham might deprive Man City youngster of deserved chance

Pep Guardiola has a habit of playing very strong teams in cup games, especially when his players have not had a game for a while — and the next match is four days or more away.

The fans would love to see James McAtee get a start, and for Liam Delap to be involved off the bench after his long injury lay-off.

But after a fortnight without a game, this is a perfect opportunity for City shake off any rust before plunging into Premier League games against Norwich and Brentford in the following seven days.

And with City chasing all three trophies, Guardiola has little to lose by rolling out his big guns for this one.

All of that points towards him playing something close to his strongest team, followed by some rotation of the team from Brentford to Norwich.

The fact that City have sold out the game, after taking the decision to reduce ticket prices for the fourth round tie, is a poke in the eye for those individuals who claim that a few empty seats at games signifies a lack of interest in City.

For a club with a support-base rooted in some of the poorest areas of Greater Manchester, the fact that cheaper tickets brought a flood of interest for a Saturday game against lower-division opponents is revealing.

It is also a message to the City executive team that flexible pricing can bear dividends

Guardiola is sure to go strong, but a place in the squad and some meaningful minutes for McAtee would be a great message to send out.

The talented youngster has recently committed his future to City amid strong interest from a lot of other clubs, and that should be rewarded.

It would not be a case of doling out playing time for the sake of it — McAtee has been showing he is ready for a chance for some time now.

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