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After a tight 2-1 victory over the Swans midweek in the Capital One Cup, City look to do the double at the weekend. Manchester City will be without suspended forward Nolito for the match, but are sure to be boosted by the returning Sergio Aguero. Backup striker Kelechi Iheanacho has performed very well in Aguero's absence, but the Argentine looks set to return to the lineup straight away.
Pep Guardiola chose to run out a weaker lineup against the Swans midweek, so expect to see all the big guns on the weekend. A win would mean six straight in the league and ten straight overall. Pep has two real decisions to make, and one of those may end up being made for him.
David Silva seems to still have a but of a problem keeping him out of the lineup. After last season I'm sure all City fans agree it's better to keep him away and make sure he's 100%. With Gundogan and Garcia able to slide in, there's no need to rush Silva back. Secondly, who Pep plays for Nolito could be interesting. Sane or Navas could slide in on the right, while the far less likely option is Angelino gets a start on the left, with Sterling on the right. Below are the eleven players I expect Pep to select.
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GK: Claudio Bravo
Bravo is Pep's clear number one choice. Expect him to start every Premier League and Champions League game.
Defense: Bacary Sagna, John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi, Aleksander Kolarov
At the back Stones, Otamendi, and Kolarov are most certainly a preferred trio. Kompany played well in his return midweek, but couldn't see out the 90 (at the time of this writing we still aren't sure what the issue was). As Zabaleta played midweek, expect Sagna to start at the weekend.
Midfield: Raheem Sterling, Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sané
With Silva still out Gundogan should be the preferred choice ahead of all other options. Sané gets the nod as he was a target for Pep, so clearly he sees something in the young German. With enough game time hopefully his quality begins to show. De Bruyne, Sterling, and Fernandinho, at this moment, are undroppable. If they're healthy, they're playing... enough said.
Forward: Sergio Agüero
The Argentine should make his way back, despite the quality Iheanacho has shown in his absence. Expect Agüero to find the back of the net in this one, captaining him in fantasy is a must.
Predicted starting lineup (4-1-4-1):
Bravo
Sagna - Stones - Otamendi - Kolarov
Fernandinho
Sané - De Bruyne - Gundogan - Sterling
Agüero
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Manchester City should see off the Swans fairly easily when they meet this weekend. This victory would see City remain at the top of the table, and hopefully extend their lead against title rivals Chelsea and United both of whom have difficult games this weekend (Arsenal and Leicester City respectively).