Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during the 2018 Manchester derby. (Getty Images)
Manchester City came back from a goal down to secure all three points with a 2-1 victory over Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, thanks to goals from Sergio Aguero and Kyle Walker.
The Citizens are now set to turn their focus to the UEFA Champions League, where a trip to Serie A outfit Atalanta awaits them on Matchday 4.
Having won each of their first three group games comprehensively, qualification to the knockout rounds looks virtually guaranteed for Pep Guardiola’s side, and they will be strong favourites to come away with all three points against a side that they demolished 5-1 just a couple of weeks ago.
Leroy Sane (knee), Aymeric Laporte (knee), Oleksandr Zinchenko (knee) and Rodrigo Hernandez (thigh) are all ruled out for the trip to Atalanta on Wednesday, while David Silva is also unlikely to feature due to a thigh problem.
Meanwhile, Phil Foden is ruled out for this game after being sent off in the home leg against Atalanta.
A rare moment of sloppiness from the Brazilian against Southampton on Saturday but he has started each of City’s three Champions League fixtures and should get the nod ahead of Claudio Bravo.
Kyle Walker started both the games against Southampton, so the Portuguese international could be amongst the starters for this one.
The England international put up a commanding display at the back against Southampton on Saturday and he is expected to retain his place for the trip to Atalanta.
The Brazilian veteran has been deployed as a makeshift centre-back this term due to the ongoing defensive crisis and he could find himself at the back once again on Wednesday.
Angelino has been pretty impressive in the last couple of games but the Frenchman is expected to get a look in if Guardiola opts to rotate his squad.
The German put in a decent shift in the middle of the park in his previous outing and he is likely to continue in the absence of Rodri and Foden.
He has by far been City’s most creative player this season and the fans will be looking forward to another scintillating display from the Belgian in the Champions League.
The Portuguese international has lacked that cutting-edge in his game this season and the Cityzens need him to rediscover his best form at the earliest.
The former Liverpool man has once again been a prolific scorer for the reigning Premier League champions this term and he will be looking to add more to his tally on Wednesday.
The Algerian hasn’t been a sure starter under Guardiola every week but the trip to Atalanta could be a good opportunity for him to prove his worth.
He has already scored five in all competitions this season and the Brazilian is likely to start ahead of Aguero, who deserves a rest for this one at least.
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