A look ahead at tomorrow's fixture
Manchester City vs Stoke City
Date: 3pm, Saturday 30th August 2014
Venue: The Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Referee: Lee Mason Assistants: J Brooks, A Halliday Fourth Official: R East
Odds: Manchester City 2/11, Draw 6/1, Stoke 16/1
Tickets: On sale via www.mcfc.co.uk
TV: Match of the Day (highlights)
Manchester City
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini
Squad (from): Hart, Caballero, Boyata, Clichy, Demichelis, Kolarov, Kompany, Nastasic, Sagna, Zabaleta, Fernandinho, Fernando, Milner, Nasri, Navas, Silva, Toure, Aguero, Dzeko, Jovetic
Injured: Negredo (foot), Lampard & Mangala (match fitness)
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Form guide: WW
Stoke City
Manager: Mark Hughes
Squad (from): Begovic, Butland, Eve, Sorensen, Bardsley, Huth, Muniesa, Pieters, Shawcross, Teixeira, Wilkinson, Wilson, Adam, Ireland, N’Zonzi, Palacios, Sidwell, Shea, Ward, Wheeler, Whelan, Arnautovic, Biram Diouf, Bojan, Crouch, Jerome, Odemwingie, Walters.
Injured: Cameron, Krkic,Whelan
Doubtful:Bardsley, Ireland
Suspended: None
Form guide: LD
Alvaro Negredo once again misses out with a foot injury, whilst Eliaquim Mangala and Frank Lampard have been excluded from the squad due to a lack of match fitness. Edin Dzeko should shrug off a calf knock sustained against Liverpool, and is likely to partner Stevan Jovetic in attack. Sergio Aguero is likely to be on the substitute's bench once more.
Stoke frustrated City for long periods in the corresponding fixture last season, and manager Manuel Pellegrini is expecting another difficult game against Mark Hughes's side.
“Of course I am sure we will have problems against a difficult team like Stoke,” he said.
“Last year in our best moment we only won 1-0 – I am sure they will come here to make a tough game for us and we will have to play very well to win."
City's last home league game against Stoke ended in a narrow 1-0 victory, with Yaya Toure scoring a late winner. Overall City have won 46 of the 105 games played against Liverpool, with 24 draws and 35 defeats.
Read the views of Stoke fan Jase from Four Two Three One Stoke here.
Prediction: City 3 Stoke 0