Man City omit three key players from squad to face RB Leipzig

Kevin De Bruyne, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones have been left out of Manchester City’s squad to face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Stones has been out injured for the past few weeks but both De Bruyne and Laporte started Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, with the former completing 88 minutes and the latter playing the full 90.

Just a few days later, Pep Guardiola’s squad will head to Germany to face Leipzig in the first leg of their last-16 tie without either De Bruyne or Laporte.

Defender Kyle Walker also missed training in the build-up to the game but has been included in the squad.

No reasons have been given for either De Bruyne or Laporte’s absences.

In their places, Guardiola has given a first taste of European football to January signing Maximo Perrone. The 20-year-old joined from Velez Sarsfield and was one City’s bench for the defeat to Tottenham, but has not been seen since.

De Bruyne was surprisingly left out of the starting lineup to face Tottenham that day and did only start three of City’s six Champions League group stage games, although this is the first for which the playmaker will not be part of the travelling squad.

Promising Northern Ireland midfielder Shea Charles is also in the squad, as is 19-year-old midfielder Alex Robertson, who was on the bench for a Carabao Cup meeting with Liverpool earlier this season.