Manuel Pellegrini confirmed that the Argentine ace has been working normally in the build-up to this top-of-the-table clash.
Vincent Kompany is still not ready to make his return but his manager is hopeful he’ll be back in action next week.
Pellegrini said: “Pablo Zabaleta continues without working - I hope next week he’ll start again.
“Vincent Kompany, Fernando and Nasri are also out.
“Kun is working with the squad without problems. We’ll asses him to see if he’s 100% to start the game but I think he’ll be in the squad on Monday.
“Vincent is improving. I hope next week he’ll start working with the squad.”
Predictably, Pellegrini was invited to give his opinion on Jose Mourinho leaving Chelsea by mutual consent on Thursday.
The two managers have had their differences in recent years but the City boss believes the Premier League is a better place with his former rival around.
“Maybe in some ways it’s difficult to understand, the manager who won two titles last season to lose their job.” Pellegrini reflected.
“It’s very difficult to have the same motivation in the season after you’ve won two trophies.
“It’s a difficult situation. The Premier League has lost an important manager. Maybe I disagree with him on a lot of things but he’s not my enemy. It’s a bad thing for the Premier League.
“It’s not for me to miss him but the Premier League will miss him. The Premier league is better with Mourinho. I manage the team in a very different way to the way he does but that doesn’t mean he’s not a good manager or important for the league.”
Arsene Wenger rubbished suggestions that this could be a decisive game in the title race at his press conference on Thursday and his City counterpart echoed those sentiments 24 hours later.
Pellegrini added: “It’s not a decisive game as after this we have to play 21 games more. It’s important to try to be the best team from the first round, to play against a team with one point more. It’s a game of six points, to win three and to take three off a rival.
“We must consider Leicester – they are still top of the table. United are just a few points behind us. Tottenham can be involved, so can Liverpool and Crystal Palace. It’s impossible just to think there are two teams involved in the title.
“We have to play five of the next six away. It’s a good target to return to clean sheets and to advance in positions. Playing away is always a bit more difficult.”
