Guardiola’s City Seek Domestic Double as FA Cup Final Approaches
Pep Guardiola’s side aim to complete the domestic cup double after winning the Carabao Cup, but face selection dilemmas ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Manchester City are set to face Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 16 May 2026, in a bid to secure their second major trophy of the season. Pep Guardiola’s side has already won the Carabao Cup and could become only the sixth team in history to complete the domestic cup double. The match kicks off at 15:00 BST and will be televised live on BBC One and TNT Sports 1, with additional coverage available on BBC iPlayer and the HBO Max app.
The primary administrative concern for Guardiola is the fitness of midfield anchor Rodri, who is nursing a groin injury. The manager remained tight-lipped regarding his availability during Friday’s media briefing. Should Rodri be unavailable, Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez are expected to operate in deeper midfield roles to cover the void.
In goal, James Trafford is set to start, having been preferred over Gianluigi Donnarumma throughout the domestic cup runs. Guardiola is unlikely to risk defender Josko Gvardiol from the start, as the player recently returned from a broken leg against Crystal Palace. Nico O’Reilly is expected to fill the defensive void in the predicted starting lineup.
Erling Haaland returns to the starting lineup, seeking to break a persistent scoring drought at Wembley. The Norwegian has failed to score in any of his eight previous appearances at the venue and has not yet scored in a major final for the club, with his last showpiece goal coming for Borussia Dortmund in 2021. Manchester City’s attacking statistics in finals are contrasting, averaging more shots but often suffering from a lower conversion rate.
Winger Jeremy Doku also returns to the squad after being rested midweek. Despite Manchester City’s dominance in the competition, having won 21 of their last 23 FA Cup fixtures, the team is wary of Chelsea’s record of three consecutive final losses. Guardiola will demand clinical finishing to avoid another disappointment under the arch.
The predicted starting XI for Manchester City is: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Bernardo, Nico; Doku, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland.
