Manchester City are three points away from a place in the Champions League next season when the Citizens face Swansea City on the road in the last Premier League fixture of the season. Coach Manuel Pellegrini will certainly look to end his career with a victory, and should line up a great team on Sunday.
With a few key absentees, Pellegrini has some thinking to do to select his starting lineup. We try to predict.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Hart
Sagna - Otamendi - Mangala - Clichy
Fernandinho - Fernando
Navas - Touré - De Bruyne
Agüero
With two full-backs and Vincent Kompany out, it's not hard to figure out the City defense for Sunday. This group has done well at the back, and there's no reason to change it. The Brazilian Fernando Duo has had a strong season, and are likely to feature as the holding midfield pairing as well. Jesus Navas, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Agüero are locks to start, and will be key to break down Swansea's defense.
The toughest position to figure out is the third midfielder, the man behind Agüero. That could be Raheem Sterling on the left wing, with De Bruyne drifting back into the middle; if Samir Nasri starts, he could play centrally or switch positions with KDB throughout the game; maybe Kelechi Iheanacho or Wilfried Bony will start, and Agüero would get a striking partner. With all those possibilities, however, Pellegrini might go with the simpler choice: give Yaya Touré the start in what is going to be the last game of the Ivorian's career at City, a choice Touré will certainly appreciate.
Regardless of the choice, City will attack and go after the game, and the attacking forces on the team will need to be at their best to get a victory and give Manuel Pellegrini a reason to smile in his farewell.