Manchester City travel to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

The reigning Premier League champions have kept three consecutive clean sheets on their last trio of visits to Leicester’s Midlands home. However, the Foxes have scored more top-flight goals (17) against Manchester City than any other side since Pep Guardiola took over in 2016 (per BBC).

Here’s the XI Guardiola may deploy to avoid another concession against opponents that have proven to be prickly in the past.

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GK: Ederson – Stefan Ortega was afforded his debut for the club in midweek but City’s Brazilian number (thirty-)one is expected to be swiftly restored to the XI.

RB: Manuel Akanji – Guardiola’s training sessions have enlightened Akanji about some of the intricacies of City’s style including something as fundamental as „how you stand with the ball“.

CB: Ruben Dias – Two days after Leicester rattled five goals past Guardiola’s side in September 2020, Dias joined the club. City haven’t conceded more than three in a single game since.

CB: Aymeric Laporte – The returning Spanish international hasn’t featured in a Premier League defeat since February.

LB: Sergio Gomez – Guardiola was at great pains to praise Joao Cancelo’s „incredible effort“ for playing with a fever against Borussia Dortmund in midweek. Gomez’s European suspension doesn’t apply to the Premier League and so he may be drafted in to spare the Portuguese trooper.

CM: Kevin De Bruyne – Ever the perfectionist, Guardiola insisted: “He’s not playing at his top level, Kevin, not yet.” Given he is the joint-top assist provider in Europe’s big five leagues this season – alongside Lionel Messi no less – one can only fear a De Bruyne in top gear.

CM: Rodri – „The Viking is joining!“ was Rodri’s half-joking reaction to Erling Haaland’s arrival. However, the midfielder and his teammates may have to do without the Scandanavian striker this weekend.

CM: Bernardo Silva – The Portugal international has scored in three of his last four trips to the King Power Stadium.

RW: Phil Foden – City’s academy graduate is averaging a goal or an assist every 78 minutes of Premier League football this season.

ST: Julian Alvarez – The fizzing livewire has only started one Premier League game this season. Although, it came against opposition from the east Midlands and he scored twice.

LW: Jack Grealish – Miguel Almiron – the subject of an ill-advised barb from Grealish last summer – has scored as many Premier League goals in October as the £100m man has in his entire City career.

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