Community Shield: City's first chance at silverware arrives with questions
There is something quietly significant about the first competitive match of a season, even when it arrives in early August with the taste of a Cardiff summer still in the air. Manchester City's 2026-27 campaign begins this afternoon at the Principality Stadium, where the FA Cup holders meet last season's Premier League champions. Arsenal, as ever, will provide a proper test.
For Enzo Maresca, this is not merely a curtain-raiser. He has spoken of it as the first opportunity for his team to claim silverware, and there is no reason to doubt that. A trophy is a trophy, even if the Community Shield tends to sit somewhere between a genuine prize and a glorified friendly. City's manager will want it.
Team news, as ever, offers a few talking points. Only Rodri is definitely out, the Spanish midfielder having undergone minor back surgery after the World Cup. He has not returned to training, and given the persistent noise around a possible move to Barcelona, there is a genuine question over whether he will ever pull on a City shirt again. It is a strange situation, and one that refuses to go away.
Elsewhere, Tijjani Reijnders and Savinho look unlikely to feature. Reijnders is on the verge of a move to Saudi Arabian club Al Qadsiah, so his absence from the squad is no great surprise. Savinho, meanwhile, missed Thursday's open training session, reportedly unwell, and has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham. Whether he is involved this afternoon remains to be seen.
Erling Haaland sat out the closing stages of Thursday's session, though Maresca was quick to describe it as precautionary. After a busy summer with Norway, the sensible play might be to start him on the bench. Then again, Haaland does not tend to do sensible when there is a goal to be had.
Ryan McAidoo missed City's final two preseason friendlies in Asia with a shoulder injury. Whether he plays any part today is uncertain.
It promises to be an intriguing afternoon in Cardiff. First silverware of the season, a few selection headaches, and the usual early-season uncertainty. What better way to get going?