John Stones, Joao Cancelo and Raheem Sterling, who captains the side, together with Riyad Mahrez and Rodrigo all come back into the starting eleven, having been on the bench for last Saturday’s 1-0 win over the Blades.
Kyle Walker, Oleks Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Phil Foden and Ferran Torres all revert to the bench as the boss again rotates his selection with the games coming thick and fast.
Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake are both unavailable through injury while Sergio Aguero is also side-lined as he continues his recovery from last month’s positive COVID-19 test.
City
CITY XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Stones, Laporte, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Bernardo, Sterling ©, Jesus, Mahrez
Subs: Steffen, Walker, Zinchenko, Torres, Mendy, Fernandinho, Foden, Garcia, Gomes
Burnley
STARTING XI; Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, Gudmundsson, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Rodriguez, Vydra
Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Stephens, Bardsley, Long, Nartey, Dunne, Benson, Driscoll-Glennon, Mumbongo
City tactics
The boss is once again poised to adopt – at least from the start – the 4-3-3 formation which has been the bedrock of our magnificent form over the past few months.
Last Saturday’s 1-0 success over Sheffield United made it 12 wins in a row in all competitions – and 19 games unbeaten - a formidable run that stretches back to early November.
That magnificent sequence of results has seen us go top of the Premier League table, move into the fifth round of the FA Cup, reach the last 16 of the Champions League and qualify for our fourth-consecutive Carabao Cup final.
We’ve kept a remarkable 12 clean sheets in the league alone this season, conceding just 13 in our 20 matches thus far.
And another shut-out today would see us equal the club league record of six consecutive clean sheets.
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Meanwhile a successful result in East Lancashire would also help to cement our place at the top of the Premier League table.
Goalkeeper Ederson will be looking to help engineer yet another clean sheet with the resurgent Joao Cancelo at right back with John Stones and Ruben Dias looking set to resume their centre back partnership with Aymeric Laporte primed to operate at left back.
Rodrigo will be deployed in the holding midfield role with Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva also in the engine room.
Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez will provide width going forward while Gabriel Jesus is the attacking focal point.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Burnley have won only one of the past 26 encounters in all competitions, drawing six and losing 19.
City are on a seven-game winning run in this fixture, scoring 28 goals and conceding one.
The Clarets’ most recent victory over City was 1-0 at home in March 2015.
Burnley
Burnley have won four and lost four of their past eight league fixtures.
The four victories they have recorded in their last six home league matches are as many as in their previous 16 at Turf Moor.
Sean Dyche’s side have lost seven of eight games against sides that enter this round of fixtures in the top seven.
Burnley have managed just 13 league goals this season, with only bottom club Sheffield United faring worse.
They have scored at least five fewer goals than at this stage of any previous season since their top-flight return in 2014.
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The Clarets have won only one of their past 26 home games against the established top-six sides, drawing four and losing 21.
City
We are on a run of 12 consecutive victories in all competitions and are unbeaten in 19 matches stretching back to 21 November and have conceded just four goals during this run.
City have won three successive away league games. They began the season with just two victories in their opening six on the road.
Pep Guardiola‘s side have kept 20 clean sheets in all competitions - five more than any other side in Europe’s elite five divisions.
City can equal our club league record of six consecutive clean sheets.
Riyad Mahrez has scored eight Premier League goals against Burnley, more than against any other side.
