MX23RW : Sunday, December 6 11:51:18| >> :120:5487:5487:

How Manchester City could line up against Burnley

Sports Mole looks at how Manchester City could line up for Saturday's Premier League showdown with Burnley at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City will be looking to improve a poor run of domestic form when they welcome Burnley to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Citizens comfortably secured their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with two games to spare during the week, but their Premier League fortunes have been far worse in 2020-21.

Indeed, City have endured their worst start to a season for more than a decade, with only two wins in their last seven league outings leaving them 13th in the table.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Pep Guardiola could set his side up for the contest.



Possible MNC XI vs. BUR

Out: None
Doubtful: Nathan Ake (hamstring)

> Click here for Man City's latest injury and suspension news ahead of this match

Guardiola was able to give Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker the night off for the trip to Athens in midweek, and they are among the players who will come back into the side for this match.

The returns of Fernandinho and Benjamin Mendy in midweek mean that Nathan Ake is Man City's only remaining doubt, with their early-season injury problems now seemingly in the past.

Whether Guardiola feels the turnaround in fixtures is too quick to play Fernandinho and Mendy from the start this weekend remains to be seen, but they are both likely to come into the starting XI on a regular basis again in the coming weeks.

It was up front where their past injury problems were most keenly felt, but Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero are both now back fit again and the latter could make only his third Premier League appearance of the season on Saturday.

Aguero boasts a formidable scoring record against the Clarets, netting nine times in his last nine appearances in this fixture.

Behind him, Guardiola must decide whether to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation that Man City began the season with and reverted to on Wednesday, or whether to switch back to 4-3-3.

Either way, Phil Foden will be hoping that his winner in midweek earns him a start, although he has found himself reduced to a substitute's role in the Premier League recently.

Ferran Torres and Aymeric Laporte are among the other players hopeful of being recalled to the side after sitting out of the starting lineup in Athens.


Video prediction

Watch the Sports Mole Football Shorts prediction for this game below:


ID:423911:cQx
Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Tottenham Hotspur duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min celebrate scoring against West Ham United on October 18, 2020
Read Next:
Combined XI: Tottenham vs. Man City
>
Latest Sports Video
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.

rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Premier League
Scottish Premiership
La Liga
Serie A
Bundesliga
Ligue 1
Eredivisie
Primeira Liga
Turkish Super Lig
Belgian Pro League
Greek Superleague
Swiss Super League
Russian Premier League
Ukrainian Premier League
Norwegian Eliteserien
Swedish Allsvenskan
Danish Superliga
Segunda Division
Serie B
2.Bundesliga
Eerste Divisie
MLS Playoffs
Brasileiro
Copa Diego Maradona
Uruguayan Primera Division
Liga MX
AFC Champions League
J1 League
Women's Super League
Autumn Nations Cup
Gallagher Premiership
NFL
6pm
Lions
@
Bears
6pm
Bengals
@
Dolphins
6pm
Saints
@
Falcons
6pm
Raiders
@
Jets
6pm
Washington
@
Steelers
6pm
Colts
@
Texans
6pm
Browns
@
Titans
6pm
Jags
@
Vikings
9.05pm
Rams
@
Cardinals
9.05pm
Giants
@
Seahawks
9.25pm
Patriots
@
Chargers
9.25pm
Eagles
@
Packers
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Chelsea1164125111422
2Tottenham HotspurSpurs106312191221
3Liverpool106312217521
4Manchester UnitedMan Utd106131917219
5Manchester CityMan City105321711618
6Leicester CityLeicester106041914518
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham115241814417
8Southampton105231916317
9Everton115242018217
10Wolverhampton WanderersWolves105231111017
11Aston Villa95042013715
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104241215-314
13Leeds UnitedLeeds114251620-414
14Arsenal104151012-213
15Crystal Palace104151215-313
16Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton102441416-210
17Fulham112181121-107
18West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom10136718-116
19Burnley10136518-136
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd10019416-121

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!