Should a Manchester City legend start the FA Cup final on Saturday? | OneFootball

Manchester City take on Crystal Palace this Saturday in the FA Cup final at Wembley. There look to be several question marks around the lineup that Pep Guardiola could select for the FA Cup final. There’s a strong case for Omar Marmoush to start at Wembley. But if he does start, alongside Erling Haaland, should Kevin De Bruyne also start on Saturday? There’s a case both for and against De Bruyne starting at Wembley. But Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth is only days after the Wembley showpiece. That may cloud the decision of whether or not De Bruyne starts against Crystal Palace.

Kevin De Bruyne was Manchester City’s man-of-the-match in their recent 5-2 win over Crystal Palace.

Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 5-2 at the Etihad last month. On that day, they went down 2-nil in the opening half-hour to Oliver Glasner’s side. It was Kevin De Bruyne who inspired his team to a comeback victory on that day. He scored one and put in a dominant performance to turn that game around. So he has form against Saturday’s opponents. It was a vintage De Bruyne performance when his team needed one on that particular day at the Etihad. Could he do that again at Wembley? Of course, he could. But it’s not as straightforward a decision as to whether or not De Bruyne will start the FA Cup final.

De Bruyne, like his teammates, wasn’t at his best against Southampton during City’s nil-all draw with the Saints. For me, his teammates deferred to him too often during that game. Could Pep Guardiola give an opportunity to De Bruyne’s teammates to claim silverware without him? It’s a reality that the City players have to face in three games’ time. Although it would be a bold move from Guardiola not to start a club legend in the Wembley showpiece.

De Bruyne’s impending Etihad farewell could see him not start the FA Cup final.

Following Saturday’s FA Cup final, Manchester City play Bournemouth at the Etihad. That game comes just days after the Crystal Palace clash. The first question is can De Bruyne start back-to-back games of such significance at his age? The Bournemouth clash is crucial to City’s bid to secure Champions League qualification. It will also be the final time that De Bruyne plays at the Etihad as a Manchester City player. Perhaps that may factor into Pep Guardiola’s team selection on Saturday. That remains to be seen for now.

There is a case both for and against De Bruyne starting the FA Cup final. Maybe he’ll be saved for the Bournemouth clash and in case of emergency at Wembley. That may keep him fresh for his Etihad farewell and allow his teammates the chance to show that they can perform on the big stage without their legendary teammate. As that’s a reality that is now only three games away.