The game could be a decisive moment in the Premier League title race (Picture: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Manchester City and Arsenal clash this evening in one of the most eagerly-anticipated Premier League games in years.
Mikel Arteta’s men are currently perched on the league summit and have spent much of the season on course for their first league title since 2004.
However, their title quest has hit the rocks in recent weeks with three successive draws to leave Manchester City trailing by just five points with their two games in hand.
And so with tonight’s game potentially decisive in the Premier League title race, both Arteta and Pep Guardiola will be keen to have their strongest lineups available at their disposal
Manchester City team news
Nathan Ake was absent from City’s FA Cup semi-final victory over Sheffield United at the weekend and he will once again be missing from Guardiola’s squad.
The Dutchman picked up a hamstring injury in last week’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich and was replaced by Aymeric Laporte for the closing stages against the German giants.
Ake will play no part tonight (Picture: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Speaking after match in Munich, Ake said: ‘It’s very frustrating. This season I’ve been mostly injury-free. We’ll see how it is but hopefully it isn’t too bad.’
Laporte is the primary candidate to fill the Ake-shaped hole, while Sergio Gomez – who started at Wembley – and Bernardo Silva could both come into Guardiola’s thinking.
Ake has been in superb form for City this season and has nailed down a regular starting berth, with Guardiola stating earlier in the season that his team could not play well without his presence in the starting XI.
The 28 year-old has helped the Mancunians to the second-best defence in the league, conceding just 28 goals in 30 league games so far this campaign.
Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Ruben Dias, Rodri and John Stones were all afforded a rest against The Blades on Saturday and Guardiola could elect to return all five of them to his lineup.
Arsenal team news
Arsenal will have to make do without William Saliba who has not featured for The Gunners since injuring his back in the Europa League defeat to Sporting last month.
Arteta had been hoping to have the influential Frenchman back after the international break, but Saliba is reported to have suffered structural damage to his back in a huge blow to their title aspirations.
Saliba has been a huge miss for Arsenal (Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
As such, Arsenal are concerned the 22 year-old could pick-up a long-term injury if he takes to the pitch again this term.
Arteta said: ‘There’s not been a real improvement unfortunately on him, so we’re still waiting.
‘We’re still hopeful, but another week has gone by and he hasn’t been able to train with the team. At the moment we don’t have him.
‘We are preparing the game without him and probably the next game will come too soon as well. We have to go week by week at the moment.’
The north Londoners have struggled in Saliba’s absence, conceding seven goals in the last three games alone with Rob Holding assuming his place at centre back.
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Granit Xhaka was spotted with the squad during their pre-match walkabout in Manchester on Wednesday morning to allay concerns the Swiss international could miss tonight’s encounter with illness.
Xhaka missed Friday night’s game with Southampton with illness but will almost certainly return straight to the starting XI if deemed well enough.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny remain sidelined with long-term injuries.
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A peek into the treatment room.
