Manchester City v Palace

The Etihad Stadium, Saturday 3.00pm

Connor Wickham

Team news

Attacking trio Bakary Sako, Marouane Chamakh and Connor Wickham have all overcome their injury troubles but are lacking match sharpness and are unlikely to get a full 90 minutes.

Manager Alan Pardew will have to decide which of the three to start with but it's likely he'll opt for Wickham to lead the line. Dwight Gayle (hamstring) is back in training but not ready for a return and Yannick Bolasie (hip) is still out.

City's defensive duo Nicolas Otamendi and Martin Demechelis will continue in place of the absent Vincent Kompany (calf) and Eliaquim Mangala (hamstring). Striker Wilfried Bony (calf) and midfielder Fernandinho (leg), plus Samir Nasri (hamstring) are out.

Manchester City (from): Hart, Caballero, Zabaleta, Sagna, Demichelis, Otamendi, Clichy, Kolarov, Toure, Fernando, Delph, De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling, Navas, Aguero, Iheanacho, Celina.

Palace (from): Cabaye, Campbell, Chamakh, Dann, Delaney, Gayle, Hangeland, Hennessey, Jedinak, Kelly, Ledley, Lee, Mariappa, McArthur, McCarthy, Mutch, Puncheon, Sako, Souare, Speroni, Ward, Wickham, Zaha.

Quotes

Roy Hodgson

"I hope we are now over the majority of our injuries because it made us address some issues in the medical team at the start of the season. Now I feel much more comfortable through our latest injury crisis that our medical team have been spot on.

"I'd like to think that when these players come back that they won't break down. You can never say never but we feel a little more confident.

"It's going to take Yannick Bolasie to come back the time that we thought, which was about 8-10 weeks since the injury, not from now.

"Three games in a week is a lot and it can be difficult after a Christmas period. And also with the level of football we're playing. There's more recovery, more distance, more sprinting.

"You end up working twice as hard when you play top teams like Manchester City too. You don't get much of the ball, but we just need to recover well and hopefully we'll be OK to go again."

Manuel Pellegrini

"One of the things this team is not is predictable. We have so many different ways to play - with two strikers, with one striker, without strikers.

"We've changed the tactical system a lot of times so I think we continue being, after three seasons when I'm in charge, the top scoring team of the Premier League. Not only at home but away also, we always try to be an offensive team.

"If we don't score once, having 17 shots at goal, it's just an accident, but I don't think it's because our rivals know the way they must play."

Manchester City - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
3rd	21	12	4	5	40

Full league table

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
28/10/2015	League Cup	Manchester City	5 - 1	Crystal Palace
12/09/2015	League	Crystal Palace	0 - 1	Manchester City
06/04/2015	League	Crystal Palace	2 - 1	Manchester City
20/12/2014	League	Manchester City	3 - 0	Crystal Palace
27/04/2014	League	Crystal Palace	0 - 2	Manchester City

All time results

Last meeting

Manchester City 5-1 Palace

Wednesday October 28 2015

Manchester City: Caballero, Zabaleta (Sagna, 56), Demichelis, Mangala, Kolarov, Navas, Fernando, Touré, De Bruyne (Roberts, 75'), Bony (Alonso, 84), Iheanacho

Subs not used: Hart, Kompany, Otamendi, Barker

Goals: Bony 22, De Bruyne 44, Iheanacho 59, Y Touré 76 (pen), Alonso 90

Bookings: Kolarov

Palace: Hennessey, Mariappa (Ward, 85), Dann, Delaney, Kelly, Jedinak, Ledley, Zaha, Mutch (Lee, 75), Bolasie, Bamford (Gayle, 77)

Goals: Delaney 89

Bookings: Zaha