Manchester City are set to play Leeds in the Premier League this weekend, looking to extend their lead at the top of the table.
However, the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund will be played on Wednesday and it's therefore expected that Pep Guardiola will make several changes for this domestic clash.
City beat Dortmund at the Etihad 2-1 thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden, the latter scoring late to ensure the Blues won the game after Marco Reus had equalled the score.
Leeds' most recent encounter against City came in early September, and although the points were shared on that occasion, Marcelo Bielsa's side were fearless, with both sides creating plenty of goalscoring opportunities.
"I admire a lot of things they [Leeds] do, especially how they behave on the pitch - it doesn't matter the opponent or the competition," Guardiola said on Friday.
"It is a challenge because we are so close - we need three wins and one draw.
"When you play at home it is another opportunity. it is between important games against Dortmund but it is what we have to do."
Obviously, it's clear Pep Guardiola is aware his team selection for the Leeds game could have huge implications on City's Champions League chances, but fortunately, the Blues have strength in depth they can rely on.
The Catalan persisted with 4-3-3 against Dortmund, playing with no recognised striker, deploying De Bruyne down the middle in the false nine role with Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez fluidly playing around the Belgian.
That suggests Guardiola thinks that lineup is his strongest team and so we should see some of those players rested before Dortmund.
Consequently, It's likely that Mendy, Aymeric Laporte, Raheem Sterling, Fernandinho and Sergio Aguero could all return to the starting lineup against Leeds, with Guardiola approaching the fixture in a similar manner to last week's triumph against Leicester.
Predicted Man City Starting XI vs Leeds: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Mendy, Fernandinho, Rodri, De Bruyne, Sterling, Aguero, Mahrez.
