The Stoke captain, Ryan Shawcross, will be a welcome return for Mark Hughes after his side suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Sunderland last Saturday. Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini will be without Sergio Agüero and a host of other first-team regulars. Hughes should be plotting an upset of his own on Saturday but Manchester City still have an embarassment of attacking riches that could make light work of Stoke. Graham Searles
Kick-off Saturday 12.45pm
Venue Britannia Stadium
Last season Stoke City 1 Manchester City 4
Live BT Sport 1
Referee Martin Atkinson
This season G13, Y53, R0, 4.08 cards per game
Odds H 4-1 A 4-6 D 3-1
Stoke City
Subs from Haugaard, Wilson, Muniesa, Bardsley, Ireland, Van Ginkel, Sidwell, Afellay, Diouf
Doubtful Muniesa, Odemwingie (both hamstring)
Injured Crouch (hamstring), Given (knee, both unknown)
Suspended None
Form WLDWWL
Discipline Y23 R3
Leading scorers Arnautovic, Diouf, Krkic 3
Manchester City
Subs from Caballero, Wright, Roberts, Iheanacho, Clichy, Navas, Fernando, Manu, Garcia, Humphreys-Grant
Doubtful Roberts (match fitness)
Injured Zabaleta (knee, 8 Dec), Agüero (foot, 12 Dec), Nasri (ankle, Apr), Kompany (calf, unknown), Touré (muscle, unknown)
Suspended Mangala (one match)
Form WDWDLW
Discipline Y25 R0
Leading scorer Agüero 7
