MANCHESTER City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is debating whether to bring back Micah Richards for the Barclays Premier match at Derby.
The England defender resumed training on Tuesday after a knee problem forced him to miss the FA Cup defeat by Sheffield United.
Eriksson may decide to freshen things up but Michael Johnson remains sidelined with an abdominal strain.
Andreas Isaksson is likely to be left out again as he searches for an exit route from Eastlands.
The Swede has indicated Turkish side Galatasaray is his preferred destination and said: "I've made it perfectly clear that I want to leave and it's Galatasaray that matters to me now.
"Galatasaray are buying me in order to play me."
Derby will be without defender Lewin Nyatanga for the game.
The Wales international was sent off late on in Saturday’s 4-1 FA Cup defeat to Preston and must now serve a ban.
Forward Craig Fagan returns after completing a suspension, however winger Eddie Lewis looks set to be sidelined for a month after suffering knee cartilage damage against the Lilywhites.
Tyrone Mears, Jay McEveley, David Jones, Danny Mills and Stephen Bywater remain long-term absentees.
Derby County (from): Price, Edworthy, Johnson, Villa, Earnshaw, Fagan, Miller, Teale, Todd, Davis, Moore, Robert, Barnes, Pearson, Savage, Ghaly, Hinchliffe.
Manchester City (from): Hart, Onuoha, Dunne, Richards, Corluka, Ball, Hamann, Fernandes, Petrov, Vassell, Elano, Mpenza, Ireland, Sturridge, Geovanni, Schmeichel, Garrido, Jihai, Etuhu.
Key opponent: Robbie Savage - Midfielder will seek to unsettle the Blues just as Sheffield United did on Sunday
Prediction: Derby 0 City 1 - If Richards returns the Blues should be able to take the points - but it will be a battle
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
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Comments
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we are desperately missing Johnson at the moment. 0-0
Paul Jewell is rubbing his hands having seen City being roughed up on Sunday.Robbie Savage and Co will dig in from the start and it all depends how City stand up to them.It's a night for real men - now how many have City got? Let's see
Time to freshen up the side, play 4-1-3-2 Back 4 dependednt upon if MR is fit, Etuhu on the Right or Geovanni and Fernandes or Ireland in CM. Mpenza and Sturridge up front. Leave Vassell and Elano on teh bench. With Derbys defence we should have as many efforts on goal as possible. We need to win this one, with Arsenal then MU coming up next we must start playing well.
Issakson is being a bit naughty with his comments if you ask me.
Perhaps he should pay his own transfer fee?
We've got one goal in us but not much more. If we start well we'll win.
With all due respect TRUE BLUE GALLWAY i cant see Jewel rubbing his hands at anything after the way they played against preston.They are the worst side EVER to play in the premiership and we will WIN tonight......i hope
Big 3pts tonight; Hart, Corluca, Dunne, Richards, Ball, Petrov, Hammann, Ireland, Giovanni, Elano, Sturridge; In a 3-1-4-2 formation. Must put them under big pressure by playing attacking football & have two upfront ?.
Everybody beats Derby County, if we don`t we will not beat any other team for the rest of the season, sounds like degauvous.
Surely this has to be nothing other than a win...nothing els is exceptable they have only won one game all season?
Leave Elano on the bench! Against Derby! A giraffe surely Mr Bath.
Sturridge must play tonight and for the rest of the season
Rich is right. What we need to do is Attack! Attack! AttackAttackAttack!!! Stop playing it safe Sven. Derby are not Chelski. Let loose the dogs of war.
Setting off in an hour ..don't let us down boys ..we need these three
come on City !!!!! :o)
No 4-5-1 for this game. We must go 4-4-2. Or even 4-3-3. Get at 'em and quality will tell.
If we don't win tonight we will be the laughing stock of the prem.....
I feel Sven will play 4-4-1-1 in the first half then bring Danny on for 30 mins in the second in a 4-4-2. And maybe Kelvin just before to give us two pacy wingers...
First half Derby 0 City 1
Second half Derby 0 City 3
Don't be GLUM Ignore the SCUM
Anything less than three points will be completely unacceptable.Drop Elano and Vassell to the bench,and play
Geo and Sturridge from the start.Although as a long time supporter I take nothing for granted,this should be a great opportunity
to improve our appaling goal difference.Next up are Arsenal,the rags,and Everton,
So the three points tonight are non-negotiable.Let's stick the boot in tonight.CTID
I'm being positive for a change
1. we will not knock it up field after passing it around in our half for 5 mins.
2.We will not start passing it around in our half when we are one nil down with ten mins to go.
3.We will not take 5 mins on the ball.
4.We will not make lunging tackles when the ball is taken off us when we do take 5 mins on the ball.
5.We will not stroll about on the pitch as if we were on chill pills.
CTID
Geo, Sturridge and Etuhu must feature in this game if we are to freshen things up.
Jewell has done OK against us in the past - let's stop the rot. We need a good result tonight to set us up for the next 3 tough games. Derby's cup result was even worse than ours - but we must take Savage out.
Richards definitely to start and I'd leave Elano out and play Geovanni. Also I'd bring on Garrido and Sun at some stage to see their current form.
For all those who want Elano dropped/rested.........
Our problem is we cant score goals, so why would you leave your leading scorer out of the team.
I feel sorry for the lad, he has been the victam of his own early season form.
Johnson is key to the way we play and Elano has been effcted by his absence the most. He is our only out let throught the middle meaning he has become very isolated and easy to mark out of the game. Even when he does get the ball the only way he can pass is left as we have no one good enough up front or on the right. This makes us a little predictable a times.
He does need to toughen up abd even though he had a poor game at Sheff Utd he was the only who looked like scoring.
Jewell was at Bramall Lane Sunday...
I hope we win 'cos if we don't we will be the laughing stock of the Premier league - no predictions!......
Massive game tonight . . . . 3 points is a must!!
If we play Etuhu on the right & maybe give Sturridge 45 mins. we should get a result . . . come on Blues
CTID
If Richards does not play, I would play Ball at centreback and Garrido as a left back. Midfield should contain Elano, Petrov and Ireland. Etuhu and/or Sturridge to be brought on as a substitude.
Let's hope the team bounce back. A good result is important.
Team Face Derby
GK Hart
RB Corluka CB Richards CB Dunne LB Ball
RM Geovanni CM Hamann CM Elano LM Petrov
CF Vassell CF Sturride
Subs Schmeichel Onouha Mpenza Fernandes Ireland
City win 3-1