Pellegrini’s power squad of 20 poses big question

Declan Rice is missing from the squad of 20 named by manager Manuel Pellegrini last night.

It’s not known at this stage whether the teenager has sustained a knock but unless the boss has a late minute change of heart the defender/midfielder will be missing from today’s squad.

And never mind about a final line-up, the question is who will be left out of the squad of 20 for the game against Bournemouth today (Sat).

With an entirely fit squad apart from the long term absentees Winston Reid, Andy Carroll and Manu Lanzini available, the manager has named 20 which must be whittled down to the final 18.

Quite who will be excluded is a real guessing game but as you address the question bear in mind the manager is set to name an attacking team with a 4-4-2 formation – or something like it.

So here are the 20 the manager has named as his preliminary squad:

Adrian, Fabianski, Noble, Zabaleta, Fredericks, Masuaku, Diop, Antonio, Ogbonna, Obiang, Ogbonna, Yarmolenko, Chicharito, Arnautovic, Wilshere, Snodgrass, Cresswell, Balbuena, Anderson, Sanchez and Perez.

Doubtless injuries will intervene later in the season but it’s many years since we went into a game with such a powerful squad.

Now, who are your two exclusions?