Guardiola faces goalkeeper choice as Donnarumma arrives ahead of Manchester derby

Pep Guardiola said "everyone will be involved" this season as he weighed up who should start in goal for Manchester City in Sunday's derby against Manchester United (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma, signed on transfer deadline day from Paris St-Germain, is in contention to replace Ederson after the long-serving Brazilian was sold to Fenerbahce for £12.1m. City also brought in James Trafford and Marcus Bettinelli in the summer and retain Stefan Ortega in the squad, leaving Guardiola with several options.

Guardiola paid tribute to Ederson's contribution during an eight-year spell that coincided with a trophy-laden period at the Etihad Stadium, calling his influence on the club "special" and acknowledging the roles of Ilkay Gundogan and Manuel Akanji, who also moved on this summer. The manager said he wanted "to try a new experience" following the departures.

The key decision for Guardiola is whether to thrust Donnarumma straight into the high-pressure fixture against United or to continue with Trafford, who started City's first three league games this season. "He is so tall, he is so huge," Guardiola said of Donnarumma, 26, adding that City seek from their keepers "safe balls, give confidence to the team, have personality and a big presence." He cautioned that new arrivals will "concede goals" at times but that the squad will "try to handle it."

On Trafford, Guardiola said: "He is a keeper for Man City. I can only play one keeper, I can play two full-backs, two centre-backs. The season is so long everyone will be involved. They may not believe it but they will." United manager Ruben Amorim confirmed Altay Bayindir will start for the visitors, meaning United's deadline-day signing Senne Lammens will not play on Sunday.

Guardiola also sought to draw a distinction between Donnarumma and Ederson. The Brazilian redefined the sweeper-keeper role in the Premier League with exceptional distribution — including seven league assists — and Guardiola said City did not sign Donnarumma to replicate that style. "I will not demand to Gigi to do something like he is uncomfortable," he said, describing Donnarumma as possessing different qualities.

The manager addressed comparisons between players elsewhere in the game as well. After Erling Haaland scored five times in Norway's 11-1 win over Moldova and moved to 88 Premier League goals in 100 games, Guardiola described Haaland as "a little bit above" other top strikers while praising Alexander Isak as "an exceptional player" following the Sweden international's high-profile move to Liverpool.

Haaland, who scored in City's Premier League defeat to Brighton, told Viaplay the team must respond after consecutive league losses. "We've lost two games in a row, it's not good enough, it's way too bad. We need to figure it out, get back to winning ways," he said, adding that the derby is "perfect to turn things around." City head into the 197th Manchester derby 13th in the table, one place and one point behind United, marking the first time they have trailed their rivals ahead of a derby since 2020.

Guardiola faces a quick call on his goalkeeper selection that will shape City's approach in a match that carries both local pride and early-season consequences. The manager's emphasis on rotation and adaptation suggests the decision will balance short-term need against a long view of a season he described as long and involving the whole squad.