Kevin De Bruyne returns for his first start since facing Burnley in August while John Stones is also in the starting line-up for the first time since the 3-1 win over Everton on 27 December.
Ederson, Rico Lewis, Matheus Nunes and Jeremy Doku also start against the Clarets with Stefan Ortega Moreno, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Oscar Bobb moving to the bench.
And they will be joined there by Erling Haaland who is part of the matchday squad for the first time since playing against Aston Villa on 6 December.
TEAMS
CITY XI: Ederson, Lewis, Stones, Ake, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Nunes, Foden, De Bruyne (c), Doku, Alvarez
Subs: Ortega-Moreno, Walker, Dias, Kovacic, Haaland, Grealish, Bernardo, Gomez, Bobb
BURNLEY XI: Trafford, Vitinho, O’Shea, Ekdal, Al-Dakhil, Gudmundsson, Berge, Brownhill (c), Odobert, Foster, Amdouni
Subs: Muric, Cork, Roberts, Zaroury, Ramsey, Fofana, Cullen, Bruun Larsen, Massengo
FORMATION/TACTICS
Guardiola has virtually a full squad to pick from but will rotate his players, particularly to protect those coming back from injury with a potentially busy schedule in the next few months.
And he looks to have gone with an attacking line-up against Burnley with Lewis and Gvardiol pushing forward as raiding full-backs and centre-back Stones likely to move up and make an extra man in midfield alongside Rodrigo.
That should give Nunes more freedom just ahead of them with the option of De Bruyne or Foden alongside the Portuguese international.
It will depend on who starts at right wing, with Doku a possibility. But he is more likely to be on the left with Julian Alvarez through the middle.
CLARET CALL
Vincent Kompany won a lot of praise for Burnley’s brilliant football last season that saw them return to the Premier League at the first attempt.
And, of course, the critics have been on the back of the former City captain this campaign for being too open.
It will be interesting to see how he tackles a return to the Etihad Stadium, particularly after last March’s 6-0 defeat in the FA Cup.
Our home games since Christmas have come against defensive-minded sides with patience the key against bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United and Huddersfield in the FA Cup.
Both Yorkshire sides were beaten without really threatening the City defence so Kompany might stick with the style that he believes in.
STATS AND FACTS
Since the start of 2017/18, no side has won more Premier League away games against the reigning champions than Burnley (two), with the Clarets winning at Chelsea (August 2017) and Liverpool (January 2021) in that time.
City have won 15 of our last 16 Premier League games against newly promoted Clubs since a 2-1 defeat to Leeds in April 2021. That Leeds defeat is their only loss in 49 Premier League home games against promoted sides, with 43 wins.
Since losing 1-0 against Tottenham in May 2010, City are unbeaten in 29 Premier League home games played on Wednesdays, winning each of the last 18 in a row.
We have spent the longest time leading (850 minutes) and the least amount of time trailing (188 minutes) of any side in the Premier League this season. We’ve been behind for just three minutes at home this term, with Tottenham the only side to lead at the Etihad so far.
Erling Haaland has scored five goals in just two appearances for Manchester City against Burnley in all competitions, netting a hat-trick in the FA Cup last season and a brace in the opening Premier League game this term. He averages a goal every 29 minutes against the Clarets so far.
Kevin De Bruyne has been involved in six goals in his last five appearances against Burnley in all competitions (two goals, four assists).
Burnley are without a goal in 12 hours and one minute of football against City in all competitions, since Robbie Brady netted a consolation goal in a 4-1 loss in December 2019. The last Burnley player to score at the Etihad was Ashley Barnes, in an FA Cup tie in January 2018.
The Clarets have dropped 18 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season – only in 2016/17 (19) have lost more in a single campaign in the competition.
