Manchester City v Fluminense: Team news, key players &stats
See kick-off times, team news, predicted line-ups, key players, stats and quotes ahead of the Saudi Arabia 2023 final.
Suspensions
None.
Team news
Pep Guardiola will be without Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland. Fernando Diniz has no injury concerns.
Predicted line-ups
Manchester City: Ederson; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Rico Lewis, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish; Julian Alvarez.
Fluminense: Fabio; Samuel Xavier, Nino, Felipe Melo, Marcelo; Andre, Martinelli; Jhon Arias, Ganso, Keno; German Cano.
Key players
Rodri The Man of the Match against Urawa, the Spaniard is the player who makes City tick. Guardiola labelled him “an extraordinary holding midfielder” and “the best in Europe”.
Bernardo Silva Guardiola recently lauded the 29-year-old as “one of the best players I've ever seen in my life”. Silva’s imagination and skill make him a go-to player in sky blue.
Julian Alvarez The 23-year-old was on the losing side last time he faced Fluminense – the Tricolor’s current sporting director Fred inspired a 3-1 win over River Plate at the Monumental in 2021 – and having had a rest from starting duty in the last four, will be raring to go. Alvarez propelled Argentina to the world title in December 2022. Can he do the same with Manchester City in December 2023?
Andre Linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, the 22-year-old is indispensable in the Tricolor engine room. Already a Brazil international, he was named Man of the Match against Al Ahly.
Stats
43 Fabio, 43, is set to become the oldest player to appear in the final. He will wrestle the record from Paolo Maldini, who was 39 when he represented AC Milan against Boca Juniors at Japan 2007. Forty-year-old Felipe Melo, meanwhile, will become the fixture’s oldest outfield player.
40 German Cano has scored 40 goals in 60 appearances in 2023. The Argentinian made history with 13 goals in 12 games in this year’s Libertadores – 10 of them first-time finishes.
Pep Guardiola is aiming to become the first coach to win four FIFA Club World Cups. Having guided Barcelona to glory in 2009 and ’11, and Bayern Munich to the title in 2013, he currently shares the record with Carlo Ancelotti.
Manchester City are trying to become the first English team to lift the trophy in their maiden campaign. Manchester United (2000), Liverpool (2005) and Chelsea (2012) failed to do so.
Extra-time and penalties
If the teams are tied after 90 minutes, an additional 30 minutes will be played. If they are tied at the end of that, the match will go to penalties. Only one FIFA Club World Cup final has gone to penalties, with Corinthians seeing off Vasco da Gama in its maiden instalment in 2000. Another four went to extra-time, with Barcelona beating Estudiantes 2-1 in 2009, Real Madrid outlasting Kashima Antlers 4-2 in 2016, Liverpool edging Flamengo in 2019 and Chelsea snatching victory over Palmeiras in 2021.
