The exit of a World Cup, Copa América, Premier League and Champions League winner would be a huge loss to any squad, even with the prospect of collecting £81.5m in return. But Manchester City showed at Wembley they can replace the Atlético Madrid-bound Julián Álvarez from within.
Phil Foden and Jack Grealish were absent for the Community Shield, which City won 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Manchester United. That left Oscar Bobb, James McAtee and Jérémy Doku playing the supporting roles for Erling Haaland, with the solitary summer arrival, Savinho, primed on the bench. Belgium’s Doku is the elder statesman of the attacking midfielders having turned 22 in May but they have picked up plenty of game time between them and looked at home playing for the league champions.
