Benjamin Mendy is out of today’s game at home to Wolves with a hamstring injury.

Joao Cancelo, who operated at left-back for Juventus on a number of occasions, looks set to fill Mendy’s void, with Kyle Walker back in the starting lineup.

Walker’s return is one of two changes from the side that beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 in the Champions League, with Raheem Sterling also back in the starting XI in place of Bernardo Silva. 

John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne and Mendy are all expected to return after the international break, while Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte are long-term absentees.

City team

XI: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Silva, Mahrez, Sterling, Aguero

Subs: Bravo, Jesus, Zinchenko, Angelino, Bernardo, Foden, Garcia.

Wolves team

City tactics

It’s 4-3-3 for City, with a back four of Kyle Walker, Nicolas Otamendi, Fernandinho and Joao Cancelo protecting Ederson in goal.

Rodri, quietly superb in recent weeks, anchors the midfield, with Ilkay Gundogan and David Silva providing guile ahead of him.

Sergio Aguero is back leading the line, with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez, our two form players in September, offering width and goals in support of the Argentine.

There are few sides in Europe better at keeping the ball than City, and that, as ever, will be our primary concern this afternoon.

And there’s plenty of goals in the side, too. Indeed, City’s tally of 27 goals in our opening seven league matches is the most by any side top-flight English club since Everton managed the same total all the way back in 1894.

Wolves enjoyed a fine win on Thursday away at Besiktas in the Europa League, so they will come into this one feeling confident.  

They usually play five at the back, with Connor Coady operating as a sweeper and have plenty of quality in midfield and upfront. Guardiola, meticulous in his preparations, will have made sure his players are very much aware of the threat they pose.

Match Stats

Head-to-head

Wolves have won just two of their 10 Premier League matches against Manchester City, both at home.

City have not lost a top-flight home game against Wolves since December 1979.

Manchester City

Manchester City’s total of 27 goals in their opening seven league games is the most by any top-flight team since Everton also netted 27 in 1894.

Eight of those goals have come in the final 20 minutes of matches - twice as many as any other side (Arsenal and Wolves both have four in that period).

Riyad Mahrez has been directly involved in 17 goals in his last 17 starts for City in all competitions (seven goals, 10 assists).

Wolves

Wolves recorded their first league win at the seventh attempt (W1, D4, L2) against Watford. It was also the first time they had been in front this season.

Since promotion in 2018, Wolves have lost just one Premier League fixture in which they scored the first goal, against Cardiff in November 2018.

Wolves have lost 15 of their last 16 top-flight matches away to reigning champions. Their only victory came at Liverpool in 1984.