CITY midfielder Geovanni could return to the starting line-up against Wigan as Elano is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Geovanni set up a stoppage-time winner for Stephen Ireland in the Barclays Premier League victory against Reading at the weekend.
Elano's absence comes at a time when City are aiming to improve on a dismal away record after taking just five points from six games.
Boss Sven-GoranEriksson said: “It is pity Elano is not playing because we know what he means to us.
“He is having a scan and we do not know at the moment how long he will be out for. But that’s life. We have to show we can play without him in the side.”
Geovanni could replace Elano while the other option for Eriksson is to push Ireland forward. Republic of Ireland midfielder Ireland has scored two match-winning goals in the last three games.
Eriksson said: “We have to consider Geovanni or Ireland for Elano’s role.
“Ireland is doing well and is in good shape, even though he is in a role that is new to him.
“But he is improving and his two goals gave us four more points.”
Darius Vassell, Michael Johnson and Nedum Onuoha are all sidelined through injury but Vedran Corluka and Emile Mpenza have shaken off knocks and come into contention.
City will certainly be looking to avoid a repeat of last season's corresponding fixture when they suffered a 4-0 hammering after going two down in the first four minutes. The Blues are yet to take a point off in their four Premier League meetings.
Meanwhile, England striker Emile Heskey is pushing for a starting place after featuring as a substitute against Arsenal last week.
The 22 minutes he played in the 2-0 defeat at the Emirates was his first action since breaking a metatarsal on September 15.
Winger Antonio Valencia sat out the Gunners clash because of a knee problem but is expected to return for new manager Steve Bruce’s first match in charge.
Wigan Athletic (from): Kirkland, Melchiot, Granqvist, Bramble, Kilbane, Cotterill, Sibierski, Landzaat, Scharner, Skoko, Brown, Taylor, Bent, Heskey, Valencia, Aghahowa, Pollitt, Hall, Olembe.
Manchester City (from): Isaksson, Hart, Corluka, Richards, Dunne, Garrido, Ireland, Fernandes, Hamann, Petrov, Geovanni, Mpenza, Ball, Jihai, Samaras, Bianchi, Etuhu, Dabo.
Last season: Wigan 4 City 0
Key opponent: Emile Heskey - One of the few forwards strong enough to worry City's central defenders
Prediction: Wigan 1 City 1 - City have a bad record against Wigan and the Latics will be up for this one under new boss Steve Bruce
Agree with the prediction? Have your say.
You can get 6/1 on City winning 1-0 with Betfred. For this and more odds, click
here.
Preview: Wigan v City
November 30, 2007
Comments
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I would play 4-4-2
Isaksson Richards Corluka Dunne Garrido Ireland Hamann Fernandes Petrov Bianchi Mpenza
Subs:Hart Ball Samaras Geovanni Sun
Now this is a quote: “The Glazer family have no love for American football, let alone English football, and their motives are entirely business."
Keith Harris talks, he’s worth listening to. Here is a man right inside the game. The chairman of stockbrokers Seymour Pierce is also football’s Mr Fix-It who has brokered the buy-outs at Chelsea, Manchester City, West Ham, Aston Villa, Hull and Cardiff. He is currently involved with Bimingham, Spurs, Millwall, Celtic, Derby and Charlton.
CTID
The last time I predicted an away win was at Chelsea, so I'll go for another 4-0 drubbing, injuries to Dunne, Richards and Hammann, and Sven sent off for foul and abusive language - to a ball-boy.
Petrov, Gelson, Hamaann, Giovanni please. With Superman in the hole behind Bianchi. Hoping Charlie is fit too.
This is a big game tomorrow we can go second in leauge and I can see Arsenal slipping up away to Villa on Monday night. If we play as well as we can do, I see us winning 2-0 with Bianchi and Geo scoring. If all goes well we could still be 3rd but only 1 point behind.
You get a whole article previewing the match, who's fit who's injured blah blah and not a single mention of Bianchi. What's the story. I like the team below submitted by poster above:
I would play 4-4-2 Isaksson Richards Corluka Dunne Garrido Ireland Hamann Fernandes Petrov Bianchi Mpenza Subs:Hart Ball Samaras Geovanni Sun
The league is very split this year. I think the top 8 or 9 will cast the bottom of the table adrift and there will be a huge points gap. I think that maybe the threshold for survival maybe lower than the much vaunted 40 points. We have to win games like this and we have caught Wigan at the worst possible time. We will also catch a Spurs team on the up the week after, not to mention a battling Bolton the week after. December is huge for our season and it starts tomorrow. January will also be very important as regards recruting because if we get in top top quality we can secure 5th and push for beyond that.
This could be a tricky game. Wigan have performed badly this season thus far. However, in Steve Bruce they have a new manager and some of these players will be playing for the futures and will be trying their hardest against us. Statistically it is proven that there is a 'new manager effect' and this more often than not results in shock victories in the first three games.
Let me explain. When you are commence work at a new employer you are on time, you try hard, you are willng and able and want the new boss to put his trust in you. It's exactly the same with these Wigan players. I'm sure Sven will know this given his pedigree and he will let the players know.
I saw this time and again throughout my career. After two years people become too complacent and less effective. Time for a rocket or 'difficult situations'.
I'll be there and am in a Wigan section. It should be a good atmosphere. To their players this will be a cup game. we need to dig in hard and play dirty tomorrow. Win ugly.
As for an earlier comment about a club I patronised this week it is owned by an associate of mine so it was a social visit.
How things have changed. We have a class act like Geo to come in and replace our playmaker and there's a good chance he'll be warming the bench again. We didn't even have a playmaker last season ....
Geovanni will be ready made replacement, he will be the star of the show tomorrow. I am going and think 1 - 3 City of which Geovanni will get a couple....
We owe them.Bianchi must get more than ten minutes.2-1 City.
hard game but come on blues lets go above the rags till monday please fulham will get 2 pens and win 3-2 ha dreaming now a fulham player would have to die in the box to get a pen at the theatre ov wet dreams
Dismal away form (Chelsea apart). I thought if you win your homes and draw your aways you were there or there abouts!!!
BristolSteve from Oldham, The reason Bianchi isn't mentioned probably is that the article is based totally on quotes from the mcfc website. For some reason Svennis didn't talk about him... he doesn't do that often, does he?
Team to Face Wigan
GK Isaksson RB Corluka CB Richards CB Dunne LB Garrdio
RM Petrov CM Hamann CM Fernandes LM Ireland
AM Geovanni
CF Bianchi
Subs
Hart Ball Etuhu Samaras Mpenza
I go for 1-0 City Bianchi with the goal
Lawrenson predicts a home win on BBC sport. That's three points in the bag then....
Shaun at your desk;
We DEFINITELY owe ickle wigin for the past couple of trips there. I lost a mint last season betting during the game against neutrals with heart not head . I really hope to recoup some of it tomorrow. Come on City, We need this to be a win. Don't care about the score. I need the money and bragging rights over the local rags too... And it's about time Fulham had a win innit?
City will shut the door. Will be lucky if Wigan get into City's box.
2-0 to City
That rgas fan Lawro predicts 2-1 Wigan, so it's 3-0 City. Come on CITEH!!!
This is a much harder game than it appears on paper. A team with a new manager always have a point to prove and Wigan has hardly been a happy hunting ground for us. Elano missing may be a blessing in disguise and other teams know about him now and once he is tightly marked it ends our route one game plan. I'd settle for a 1-0 or 2-1 but it will be a really hard slog. Mark Lawrenson predicts 2-1 to Wigan.
You've stolen my prediction. I want to take all the credit for it.
Agree Mozza. First person to take on board that our next three matches are against sides with new managers, something to prove, and probably imnproved on previous performances. This is a difficult and losable game if City are not at their best and to get through against Wigan will need some midfield fight...not the lie down and die stuff we saw last season. I won't predict cos the last time I did that was Reading (I said 3-0) and previously Chelsea (1-0 to City) so I'll keep my mouth shut on that one!
Time to banish another bogey. At the moment, each match brings a fresh test of City's new credentials. Wigan will presumably be fired up for their new manager's first game in charge and try to press City hard. City's first order of business must be to keep possession and avoid concedeing early and then pick Wigan off as the game progresses.
I'd like to see Geo start tomorrow but wouldn't be surprised if Sun moved forward on the right and Ireland moved inside.
Don't know if anyone goin to the game tomorrow knows The Orwell pub but should be full of blues pre match. Any other suggestions for 'away' pubs in Wigan?
How did I know it would be Giles making the stupid comments. “Your Voice????” What’s with all these self aggrandizing titles you give yourself. I know where MY VOICE comes from, it’s my mouth, yours definitely comes from a totally different part of your anatomy. “Play dirty”, “Win ugly”. I don’t know if you’ve noticed in one of your few cogent moments when you’ve returned from whatever fantasy land you live your life in, BUT City don’t play like that under Sven. If you want to support a team like that try the barcodes or the brummies. I hope you use your voice to loudly exhort City to play “dirty” whilst sitting in the Wigan section, I’m sure several of their burly fans sitting round you will take you somewhere quiet for a nice “chat”
Back to the real subject. I don’t think Bianchi will get a start. Samaras didn’t do to bad against Reading and I can see Sven playing the same formation as he did against Reading. Wigan will be up for this and they will come at us at 100mph, we just need to absorb it and counter attack like we know we can. Elano missing is a blow but as I’ve said before it was inevitable we’d lose him for some games so learning how to play without him is important and we couldn’t ask for a better team to play against to try it. We did well against Reading after he went off Ireland and Geovanni played well and the defence was still rock solid despite the loss of Corlika. Now Corluka's back for this game it will be stronger still and we can definitely score on the break. I can see Isacsson in goal, back 4 of Corluka, Richards, Dunne and Garrido. Midfield of Petrov, Geovanni, Hamman, Fernandes and Ireland with Samaras or Mpenza ( if recovered ) up front. As I said I’d play Samamras with Ireland in the hole behind him and let Geovanni be the midfield creator. Can see a 1-0 or 2-1 win for us with Corluka scoring first from a corner.
Keep that Blue Moon on the rise.