Maresca adamant Donnarumma can be dropped but first name selected

File Photo: Enzo Maresca has refused to call his goalkeeper undroppable, but Gianluigi Donnarumma will start against Brighton as City aim to ease the pressure on him and see off a side talking revenge. | Photo Credit: AP

Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca has said Gianluigi Donnarumma is not undroppable, although the goalkeeper will still be the first name on his team sheet this weekend.

The Italian has come under heavy scrutiny after a series of mistakes early in the season.

And speculation about his position intensified following a superb display by reserve ‘keeper Geronimo Rulli in City’s midweek League Cup win over Brighton.

Maresca, however, made it clear that Donnarumma will return to goal when league leaders City face third-placed Brighton at the Etihad again in the Premier League on Saturday.

“I think it is one thing to say that in this moment it is Gigio plus 10, and another thing to say undroppable,” Maresca told a pre-match press conference on Friday. “They are two different things.

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“There is no player that is undroppable but in this moment it is Gigio plus 10. In this moment I see it like this.”

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has said his side want revenge after losing to City on penalties on Wednesday. Rulli saved two penalties in the shoot out after City had twice come from behind to draw 2-2.

“Again, this is going to be a tough game,” Maresca said. “No matter if they (Brighton) play in a different competition or with a different team, they always try to be front foot.

“They attack with many players, they score many goals, they create many chances.

“But we’re going to try to do our best and try to win the game. If it’s revenge or these kinds of things, it’s more about them, not about us.”

Hurzeler also claimed that City were lucky in the League Cup tie. City are appealing after being found guilty last month of breaking Premier League financial rules on more than 100 charges.

Maresca, however, downplayed those comments, saying: “This is what he said. Every manager can say something different. It depends on what you see with your eyes.

“But I respect what he said. We try to prepare for the game knowing what they are going to do. We try to prepare for the game in the best way we can and continue if we can to win games.”