When Manchester City went to the Bernabeu in 2023, Kevin De Bruyne stood up with only one hamstring.

One of the greatest to ever pull on a City shirt got a crucial equaliser in a tense game that teed up the 4-0 in the second leg on the way to the club's first ever Champions League final. When he came down with sickness hours before the 2024 game, the best player in the Premier League took over with Phil Foden scoring a rocket in a 3-3 draw that gave the Blues an excellent chance of going through at home.

In 2025, at least one of them looks like being on the bench. Both men at their best would walk into the XI, but Saturday's 3-0 win over Newcastle has changed things.

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Nico Gonzalez instantly made everything feel more secure, linking the City defence and attack in a way that they haven't really been all season with Rodri managing less than two games. As auditions go, it was one where he didn't need a call to tell him he has got the part to start on Wednesday night.

The same goes for Omar Marmoush after his hat-trick. City's £59m January arrival had shown glimpses of his promise and on Saturday he turned it on at the best possible time to show why it is worth giving Real more to worry about up front than the best striker in the world in Erling Haaland.

Complementing both was Savinho, who continued his excellent form with another assist. The Brazilian started in the first leg of the Champions League play-off and especially with Jack Grealish injured it is hard to imagine a scenario where Savinho wouldn't start.

Those are four of the front six, so who goes with them? It's possible of course that Pep Guardiola would pick both Foden and De Bruyne, but that leaves just Gonzalez with five attack-minded players ahead of him; City need to outscore Real at the Bernabeu but it may not be wise to be so gung-ho.

In that case, Bernardo Silva will probably come in to sit alongside Gonzalez - it could be Ilkay Gundogan but Silva will surely be preferred - and allow the rest of the attackers to do their bit. That means at least one of Foden and De Bruyne starting one of the biggest games of the season on the bench.

And if that is seen as a rational plan for Real Madrid away, there is no reason why the same would not be considered for Liverpool at home a few days later or any other big game City have left this season. If two of their biggest stars are going to force their way back into the team, they are going to have to react to what Marmoush and Savinho have done.