CDM: Conor McGrandles
Conor McGrandles starts in midfield for me. With potential changes elsewhere, I would want that familiarity in the centre of the pitch, and Conor would be the player I build the midfield pairing around.
He’s a City legend who has shown no signs of fading in the Championship, and while the pressure on his place is higher, he’s rising to the challenge.
CDM: Ivan Varfolomeev
I would still go with Ivan Varfolomeev alongside Conor, although this is one of the selections with a genuine alternative. Ivan has proudly played a few minutes for Ukraine, but he has still been away travelling, and that needs to be considered when assessing how ready he is to start.
Yunus Konak played 62 minutes for Turkey Under-21s this week, so his international commitments could also affect his involvement. There is a possibility that he does not feature on Saturday, or that his minutes are limited as he returns to the club.
Tom Bayliss is therefore a big option. If Ivan comes back and the coaches feel the travel has taken enough out of him, Tom could start and Ivan could be used from the bench, but my preference remains Conor and Ivan.
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