Maresca emphasized that winning the derby would boost the team's morale.

Another match in the third round of the 2026/27 English League Cup will take place, with Manchester City hosting Championship side Norwich City at the Etihad Stadium. In an interview, Maresca stated that the players' morale and fighting spirit have been boosted after defeating Manchester United in the derby.

In the Manchester derby in the Premier League earlier this season, Manchester City defeated Manchester United 1-0 after Foden was shown a red card, thanks to a goal from Haaland in the second half, thus achieving their fourth consecutive victory.

Manchester City manager Maresca said, "Winning these kinds of games certainly helps. Everyone can see the players' reactions at the end of the game, and they can also see the reactions of the players who are interviewed after the game. And the message they are conveying is basically the same."

"A derby is an 11-on-11 match, so winning in the normal way is already good enough. But to win in this way is undoubtedly even better."

Regarding the lineup choices, Maresca said, "I did the same when I was managing Chelsea and Leicester, and we will give Geronimo Rulli playing time tomorrow."

“Doku is very close to returning, but Foden’s suspension is a big loss for us. Foden has had a good start and he performed well in the last game. But now he can’t play, and he will miss the upcoming games against Sunderland and Liverpool, and then he will return to the team.”

Regarding the young players from the youth academy, Maresca said, "As everyone knows, we have many young players who participated in the preseason with the team. In the end, we decided to keep three players because we believe they can continue to improve by training with the first team and also get some playing time."

“Ryan McAdoo has already made two appearances in the Premier League, and Kaden Braithwaite also had his chance against Crystal Palace. The only one who hasn’t played yet is Floyd Samba. But he will get his chance, and they will definitely be involved in the game.”

Image source: Internet