Third faces second in the Premier League on Saturday evening as Manchester City welcome Leicester City to the Etihad Stadium.

The champions know that even a win would not be enough for them to leapfrog the high-flying Foxes in the table, with Leicester sitting four points clear of Saturday's hosts after 17 games of the season.

However, Saturday's match does present both teams with a chance to close the gap on runaway leaders Liverpool, who are away at the Club World Cup.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Pep Guardiola could line his side up for Saturday's showdown.

Out: John Stones (thigh), Aymeric Laporte (knee), Leroy Sane (knee)
Doubtful: David Silva (leg), Sergio Aguero (thigh)

> Click here for Man City's latest injury and suspension news ahead of this match

Guardiola predictably made a string of changes to his starting lineup for Wednesday's EFL Cup quarter-final against Oxford United, and a number of first-teamers are therefore expected to return this weekend.

Ederson, Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus are among those, with the latter likely to lead the line again as Sergio Aguero continues to battle a thigh problem.

The Argentine has an outside possibility of featuring in this match, but a return after Christmas is more likely and the fact that Jesus was rested in midweek suggests that he will start this match.

De Bruyne will be hoping to replicate his masterclass against Arsenal last weekend and could be joined in midfield again by David Silva, who has missed the last three games after picking up a knock to his leg.

Riyad Mahrez may have to settle for a place on the bench against his former club, while at the other end of the field Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi remain Guardiola's two senior options at centre-back with John Stones and Aymeric Laporte still sidelined.