Crystal Palace vs Man City LIVE: Team news and line-ups from Premier League clash

But there is a different kind of farewell: to the men who have come and gone at some speed, often with sizeable sums of money changing hands, but without the longevity of Guardiola, Silva and Stones, who all gave either nine or 10 years of service. Some may have been designed as the successors to the treble team, but are leaving in the same summer as a couple of them, barely a year after others. Which, in turn, can show the difficulty of coming after legends; anyone else can look like a downgrade.

Enzo Maresca spoke on new signing Ayyoub Bouaddi and said he was ready to get involved straight away at Selhurst Park.

“He’s quite calm,” Maresca said when asked about his key attributes. “He doesn’t look 18, he looks already mature and this is important.

“In this case we need to go slowly because he’s very young, he came from a different country and he needs adaptation.

“No rush for him. For sure he will help us now and in the future. But he is just 18. It is my job and it’s the club’s job to manage him in the best way, don’t put pressure on him, he is young and he needs time.”

New manager Pierre Sage said he is prepared to “give my life” to make the Crystal Palace supporters happy before his first home match in charge.

Sage said: “I will give my life to make them happy. I cannot do more.

“It will be a wonderful moment, but I prefer to have a wonderful moment with good news at the end of the game.

“That’s why I don’t think about me in this situation. The most important thing is the team and the result for sure, because we prepare all week for that, to make the fans happy. They will be happy to see us, but I think they would prefer to see us win.”

Ayyoub Bouaddi will have to come off the bench if he is to make his Man City debut tonight, with Enzo Maresca opting to stick with Marc Guehi in midfield.

The only other change from the Bournemouth win sees Rayan Cherki start in place of Rico Lewis.

Man City XI: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Anderson, Guehi; Foden, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland.

Subs: Rulli, Kovacic, Ait-Nouri, Reis, Echeverri, Bouaddi, McAidoo, Braithwaite, Lewis.

No Ismaila Sarr or Jean-Philippe Mateta in the team, with both absent due to injuries rather than transfer dealings. Jorgen Strand Larsen leads the line.

Daniel Munoz starts on the bench amid rumours he’ll be on the move to Nottingham Forest, with new signing Anan Khalaili coming in.

Takehiro Tomiyasu comes into the team for Chadi Riad, who was stretchered off against Everton, while Yeremy Pino starts ahead of Dwight McNeil.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Tomiyasu; Khalaili, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Pino, Nketiah; Strand Larsen.

Subs: Benitez, Munoz, Disasi, Minguez, Hughes, Lerma, Gozo, McNeil, Guessand.

Chelsea had long been open to business for a £120m fee for the Argentina international in what was already a complicated saga, but it is understood that no longer applies, partly due to how summer market valuations have risen.

One of the higher prices was the £116m fee City themselves paid to Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson this summer, and it now appears they would have to greatly increase on that club record to secure Fernandez.

Line-ups will be out shortly, but this is what we know so far…

Ismaila Sarr remains absent for Crystal Palace with a groin issue, and Chadi Riad is also injured having been forced off against Everton. Axel Disasi has arrived on loan from Chelsea and could make his debut.

Ayyoub Bouaddi could be involved for Manchester City after his move from Lille, though Marc Guehi may retain a midfield role. Jeremy Doku has been ruled out and Matheus Nunes is not 100 per cent fit, so may be limited to a bench role once more.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. A live stream will be available via Sky Go and NOW.

Maresca very nearly didn’t get off to a victorious start in the City dugout, requiring two late goals against Bournemouth to flip last weekend’s opener at the Etihad Stadium on its head.

He’ll want a more straightforward outing against the Eagles, who are yet to click into gear under new boss Pierre Sage after suffering an opening day defeat to Everton.

City could hand new midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi a debut at Selhurst Park, though competition for places could already be about to stiffen for the Moroccan with Maresca’s side plotting a late big-money move for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez.