1 Squad rotation
It’s been a gruelling run of festive fixtures for City and Guardiola may well decide to utilise his squad for the game against Sean Dyche’s men.
“We’re going to kill the players,” Pep said after the Watford game, City’s 10th in 33 days. “They play 11 months in a row. They have to protect them and play with quality and not quantity. We have to think about the artists.”
Indeed, City’s schedule shows no sign of letting up. We face a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final and Premier League matches against Liverpool and Newcastle in the fortnight following Saturday’s game. That, by any measure, is tough to negotiate.
Pep has already confirmed the absence of injury-victims Gabriel Jesus, Vincent Kompany and Phil Foden. Expect to see a much-changed side against Burnley.
2 Silky Ilkay
One player likely to feature is Ilkay Gundogan.
The German has impressed when called upon in recent weeks, and offers a fine alternative to any of City’s world-class midfield trio of Fernandinho, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.
Gundogan is a hybrid midfielder. He can sit deep and protect the back four, eliminating danger quickly and effectively, but can also play with freedom to get forward, where is exceptional passing ability can be utilised.
He sees runners around him and has the quality to find them. There are few better in the Premier League at executing slide-rule passes.
3 Bernardo time
Bernardo Silva, too, will be desperate to play and build on his recent involvement.
Vying for a place with Silva and De Bruyne – two of Europe’s finest playmakers – was never going to be easy for Bernardo, who, at 23, will need time to develop and adapt to English football.
But this is a player with plenty of quality, as he showed last season when Monaco won the Ligue 1 title at a canter and made it to the Champions League semi-finals.
A wonderful touch, great control in tight spaces and, as shown against Leicester recently, a fine finisher - he is a real talent.
Fortunately, City’s squad means he can be eased into the side. The game against Burnley seems like an ideal opportunity for him to get more minutes.
4 Tough test
As third-round ties go, a game against the seventh-placed Premier League side is pretty tough.
Burnley have shown all season they are a difficult side to break down, conceding just 19 goals in their 22 Premier League games so far. Away from home, where they struggled so badly last season, they’ve lost just twice.
And FA Cup rules means there will be 7,000 away fans at the Etihad, packed in behind the goal willing the Clarets side on.
Make no mistake, this could be a tough afternoon’s work.
5 Unbeaten run to continue?
City are unbeaten in domestic competition this season.
Our record makes for fine reading: 19 wins and two draws in 22 Premier League games and three Carabao Cup wins (two of which came via penalty shoot-outs) from three.
In fact, in a run stretching back into last season, we have now strung together 31 undefeated domestic matches. You have to go back to April’s FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal for City’s last loss.
Can we maintain our brilliant form?
