Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker start for Manchester City in their FA Cup third round tie against Birmingham, but Sergio Aguero is not in the squad.
Pep Guardiola had suggested Sergio Aguero could makes his first start in over two months against the Championship side, having suffered a setback from his first return from injury in October. However, he is not in the matchday squad on Sunday, with Jesus leading the line instead.
Guardiola named a very strong City side even with five changes from the one that beat Chelsea and Manchester United in the last week, although Jesus and Walker returned to the side having recovered from Covid-19.
Ederson has returned to first team training after his own isolation, but was unlikely to start this one anyway and cup goalkeeper Zack Steffen starts for the third game in a row.
In defence, Walker partners Ruben Dias in central defence as John Stones gets a rest. Joao Cancelo and Benjamin Mendy are the full-backs.
Ahead of them, in midfield Rodri is recalled, with a central duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva tasked with creating chances for a forward line of Jesus, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez.
Raheem Sterling gets a rest, while Ilkay Gundogan drops to the bench. Aymeric Laporte is not yet ready to return.
Also among the substitutes, Guardiola could call upon academy players Liam Delap, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Felix Nmecha and Luke Mbete.
Man City starting XI vs Birmingham: Steffen, Cancelo, Dias, Walker, Mendy, Rodrigo, Mahrez, De Bruyne (C), Foden, Bernardo, Jesus
Substitutes: Ederson, Stones, Gundogan, Fernandinho, Zinchenko, Delap, Harwood-Bellis, Nmecha, Mbete
