The Manchester derby preview
Old Trafford will host the Manchester derby on Saturday, with both sides looking to draw first blood in an early title battle. Manchester City will kick off the clash in pole position at the top of the Premier League after winning their opening three games. Manchester United have the same point-haul, but sit third because of a lower goal difference. The winners will claim a big psychological victory over their rivals at an early stage in the season.
City boss Josep Guardiola and United manager Jose Mourinho have managed opposing teams eighteen times before, with the Spaniard victorious on seven occasions and the man from Portugal triumphant just three times. The two managers will rekindle a rivalry forged in the Primera Liga when they coached Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Manchester City have scored the most goals in the league so far, hitting the back of the net nine times. Pep Guardiola's side will be without leading scorer Sergio Aguero after the forward picked up a three-match ban for an elbow on West Ham captain Winston Reid in their last game. The suspension is a big blow and Guardiola will likely turn to Nigerian youngster Kelechi Iheanacho to take Aguero's place leading the line. The 19-year-old attacker scored eight goals from seven starts last term. Iheanacho will have plenty of support, with new-signing Nolito, Kevin De Bruyne and a rejuvenated Raheem Sterling looking to provide the ammunition.
Manchester United have only conceded one goal in their first three games, notching two clean sheets so far. Centre-backs Daley Blind and Eric Bailly are proving a strong pairing in defence. Star-signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic has equalled Aguero's goal tally of three and the Swede will be eager to get one over Guardiola - the man he called a "spineless coward" in his autobiography after being dropped by the Spaniard at Barcelona to accomodate Lionel Messi.
In team news, United's Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be out after injuring his thigh on international duty. Left-back Luke Shaw is a doubt after leaving the England squad with a calf injury. For City, right-back Bacary Sagna is a fitness concern after tweaking his hamstring. Central-defender Vincent Kompany is unlikely to feature, despite returning to training this week. Guardiola is reluctant to risk an injury relapse for the Belgian. New signings Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan have also returned to training after recovering from long-term injuries picked up before the start of the season. Both could be available to play a part on Saturday.
Manchester United are the bookies favourites to win this tie. Mourinho's side have the home advantage and a strong defensive record so far. The Red Devils won 1-0 when these two sides met last. Manchester City's Spanish midfielder David Silva says his team will be "out to win the match". The absence of Aguero through suspension will be a big miss for The Citizens. Guardiola will have a dilemna over who to pick as his replacement. This game should be a hard fought encounter with the big names coming to the fore. Mourinho's men should just pip this one.
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