Guardiola has no new injury concerns as City prepare for five fixtures in 14 days
Everton v Manchester City
Competition: F.A. Premier League
Date: 5.30pm, Saturday 31st March 2018
Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool
Referee: Paul Tierney Assistants: E Smart, D Eaton Fourth Official: M Oliver
Odds: Everton 8/1, Draw 4/1, City 4/11
Tickets: Sold out
TV: BT Sport
Everton
Manager: Sam Allardyce
Squad (from): Pickford, Robles, Hewelt, Baines, Keane, Jagielka, Martina, Coleman, Funes Mori, Kenny, Davies, Schneiderlin, Klaassen, Bolasie, Rooney, Walcott, Tosun, Vlasic, Calvert-Lewin, Niasse
Injured: Holgate, Mangala, Sigurdsson, McCarthy, Stekelenburg
Doubtful: Gueye
Suspended: Williams
Form guide: LWLLWW
Manchester City
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Squad (from): Bravo, Ederson, Muric, Danilo, Kompany, Laporte, Otamendi, Walker, De Bruyne, Delph, Fernandinho, Foden, Gundogan, Sane, B Silva, D Silva, Sterling, Toure, Aguero, Jesus
Injured: Mendy, Stones
Doubtful: Aguero, Delph
Suspended: None
Form guide: LWWWLW
John Stones misses out on a return to Goodison after being ruled out with concussion suffered whilst on international duty. City have no other new injury concerns, and Sergio Aguero could be involved after Pep Guardiola confimed that the forward is "much, much better" following a knee injury sustained during training.
City lost 4-0 at Goodison Park last season, their heaviest defeat under Guardiola, and the City manager was under no illusions about the challenge facing his players:
“(Under Sam Allardyce), Everton have been good,” he said. “The results are better. Especially at home, the results are so strong.
“Everton at home last season was one of the best performances and we drew.
“I didn’t think we played that badly but when the result happens, you have to accept it. I think this season, the results have been much better.
“Goodison Park is always a tough ground.”
Guardiola, meanwhile, has ordered City's doctors to talk to his players about snus. The tobacco pouch product, which can be purchased online at sites such as BuyNicotinePouches.co.uk, is sweeping the Premier League and City's manager isn't taking any risks with his squad.
He said: “The doctor spoke with the players this morning [about snus]. I didn’t know about it.
“The doctor spoke with the players, that’s all I can say.
“I don’t know the benefits, the pleasure of that, I know about that only this morning when the doctor came into my office to talk about that.”
City's last away game at Goodison ended in a humiliating 4-0 defeat, with Romelu Lukaku, Kevin Mirallas, Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman netting for the Toffees. Overall City have won 68 of the 183 games played against Everton, with 47 draws and 68 defeats.
Predicted line-up: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Stones, Delph, Gundogan, D Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling, Sane, Jesus
Score prediction: Everton 1 City 2