Ederson and Mahrez regain their places in the starting line-up, having missed out on the Champions’ pre-season Asia Tour and Community Shield triumph over Liverpool due to late arrivals back from international duty.
Laporte, who did travel to Asia, is back after missing Sunday’s trip to Wembley. The Frenchman was declared available for selection to face the Hammers, following a fitness test on Friday.
READ: Bishop | The Blue Hammer with ‘unfinished business’
WATCH: Pep | Rodrigo is better than I was!
WEST HAM v CITY: Matchday Centre | Follow the action live
Meanwhile, summer recruit Rodrigo will make his Premier League debut, having impressed since joining the Club in July.
Newly-appointed captain David Silva will look to continue his fine form at the London Stadium, having scored in in all three of his appearances there. El Mago has netted six goals against West Ham in all competitions – more than versus any other side.
Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Mahrez comprise the rest of the midfield cast with Sterling replacing the injured Leroy Sane on the left-wing.
Fresh from his Copa America success and Community Shield-winning penalty, Gabriel Jesus leads the line upfront, while Sergio Aguero – who has scored six goals on the opening weekend of the Premier League season – is named on the bench, alongside new recruit Joao Cancelo and Ilkay Gundogan, who penned a new deal with the Club on Friday.
Benjamin Mendy and Fernandinho miss out, as the pair are not fully fit, while Leroy Sane sustained damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is expected to be sidelined for six months.
City team
XI: Ederson, Zinchenko, Stones, Laporte, Walker, Rodrigo, Sterling, Silva (c), De Bruyne, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus.
SUBS: Bravo, Otamendi, Cancelo, Bernardo, Gundogan, Foden, Aguero.
West Ham team
XI: Fabianski, Balbuena, Cresswell, Fredericks, Diop, Antonio, Rice, Wilshere, Lanzini, Pereira Gomes, Haller
SUBS: Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Snodgrass, Hernández Balcázar, Fornals, Sánchez, Jiménez
City tactics
Employing our usual 4-3-3 formation, Ederson takes his place in goal, shielded by a backline of Oleks Zinchenko, Laporte, John Stones and Kyle Walker.
Rodrigo protects the midfield three in the central defensive midfield role, alongside playmakers Silva and De Bruyne.
Sterling and Mahrez flank Jesus in the attacking trident.
Pep on West Ham
“Last season, they finished quite well. Manuel Pellegrini’s biggest quality is identifying how his team plays.
“At the end of the season, they had a good result at Tottenham away and against Watford so his teams have the quality.
“We were better in some periods (in previous fixtures) but it’s in the past. Last time, we won 4-0 but it was a fake result – we didn’t create too many but were so clinical up front.
“It’s the first game of the season, we played important game in the Community Shield but I saw the team quite well this week – all incredibly good in training.”
Stats
• City have earned seven successive victories against West Ham in all competitions, including 4-0 in last season’s corresponding league fixture.
• City have won on all four visits to London Stadium, by an aggregate score of 17-1.
• West Ham have not kept a clean sheet against City in 16 competitive fixtures since a 0-0 Premier League draw at Upton Park in November 2012.
• City are unbeaten in our past ten opening Premier League fixtures, winning for eight seasons in a row.
• The reigning Champions are vying for a 15th successive Premier League victory. We have only conceded two goals in their past seven away league fixtures, keeping five clean sheets.
