MARK Hughes has doubts over Craig Bellamy and Stephen Ireland ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League encounter with Chelsea at Eastlands.
The pair both picked up knee injuries in Wednesday’s Carling Cup win over Arsenal and are rated as extremely doubtful.
Vladimir Weiss, who scored his first senior goal in midweek, is also unlikely to figure after being laid low by tonsillitis but Martin Petrov and Nigel de Jong should be available after missing out on the Arsenal triumph.
City's defence put in its best display for some time on Wednesday, and that was encouraging as they prepare to come up against the firepower of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.
Drogba has an ominous 11 goals in his last 13 Premier League appearances, and City go into the game having lost their last eight league meetings with Chelsea.
But Wright-Phillips says Chelsea should also be wary of his team's attacking threat. Although Bellamy is likely to miss out against Chelsea, Wright-Phillips has been impressed with his team-mates impact.
"I can't imagine what it's like to play against Drogba, because I'm at the other end of the pitch!" said Wright-Phillips.
"But I know what the defenders are going through, because on his day he is one of the best strikers in the world. He is hard to describe. He is always going to score goals, always going to be a handful, always going to win free kicks from people tackling him.
"But our strikers, on top of their game, will cause anyone problems, no matter where we go. It's just a case of getting us all clicking at the same time.
"Since I came back to the club, Craig has been the one who has surprised me the most, because I had not seen too much of him. He played well for us when he first came, but then got injured.
"But he has come back and shut up all the critics who spoke down about him. I am happy for Craig - he has been on fire and has been scoring goals at vital times.
"Bellamy's character is that he doesn't bow down, on and off the pitch. He just lets his football do the talking."
The Blues are likely to bring Robinho back into the starting line-up - the Brazilian sat out Wednesday's game - in place of Bellamy.
Meanwhile, Ashley Cole will return for Chelsea.
Cole (hamstring) was missing from Wednesday’s Carling Cup loss at Blackburn but will return to a starting XI that is likely to include several changes from the Blackburn defeat.
Salomon Kalou (thigh), Daniel Sturridge (knee), Alex (hip) and Jose Bosingwa (knee) are all unavailable.
Manchester City (from): Given, Taylor, Richards, Zabaleta, Toure, Lescott, Onuoha, Bridge, Garrido, Wright-Phillips, De Jong, Kompany, Johnson, Ireland, Barry, Robinho, Bellamy, Petrov, Adebayor, Tevez, Santa Cruz, Benjani.
Chelsea (from): Cech, Hilario, Turnbull, Ivanovic, A Cole, Zhirkov, Carvalho, Terry, Essien, Lampard, Belletti, Mikel, Ballack, Malouda, Kakuta, Deco, J Cole, Anelka, Drogba.
City league form: DDDDD
Chelsea league form: WWWWW
Key opponent: Didier Drogba - arguably the best striker in the world at the moment
Prediction: City 1 Chelsea 1 - If City really perform as they did on Wednesday, another dreaded draw could be on the cards
Agree with the prediction? Have your say.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Allen & Knott's Lovechild (04/12/2009 at 14:44)
Eric, Dutch (04/12/2009 at 14:57)
Blue Jazzman, Marple (04/12/2009 at 15:03)
Spot on about the noise - I have posted elsewhere that;
Learning from the Wigan and Villa matches against Chelsea, if we are to beat Chelsea tomorrow, we will have to play at a high tempo right from the kick off. Once the match has started the manager can't influence that tempo - he is one voice in 40 odd thousand
The crowd can though - I am sure our vocal support from the start will help to get that tempo going - and our continued, positive, encouragement throughout the match will sustain it
woolleyback blue, Heart of the City (04/12/2009 at 15:03)
CITY FOR LIFE
Sam Haggar-Lowestoft-MCFC4LIFE (04/12/2009 at 15:14)
GK Given
RB Richards CB Toure CB Lescott LB Bridge
RM SWP CM De Jong CM Barry LM Bellemy
CF Tevez CF Adebayor
I cant see us winning because the way chelsea are playing at the moment unless they are of form my prediction 1-1
The Big Easy,Dukinfield, Sacramento (04/12/2009 at 15:14)
Derek Parlane and Jim Tolmies Hairdresser, Manchester (04/12/2009 at 15:44)
Well hope the team excludes Richards as still looked dodgey on Wednesday and was Arsenals main route of attack through are right back area.I honestly dont think Brideg is any better than Garrido,except the are Spanish hombre could pass and keep possession better,delivered more crosses and hit a great dead ball free kick on goal (we've no one at the mo).Admittedly he wasn't the best defensively but was improving towards the end of his last run,which is understanble being young and comming form Spanish football which is almost played at walking pace compared to the Premiership! I
Team for Chelski ;-
Given
Onouha,Toure,Lescott,Gariddo
SWP,Komapany,Ireland,Barry
Tevez
Adebayour
Subs- Taylor,Mee,Weiss,Jonson,De Jong,Robinho & anyone you care to name but Santa Cruz.
ablueneville, Somewhere in yorkshire (04/12/2009 at 15:44)
The Colin - Leeds, Over the hills and far away (Mancunian Reject) (04/12/2009 at 15:50)
Oh yeah, we won a game so they won't be posting for a while.
ted knott, droylsden (04/12/2009 at 15:51)
Top Cat, , Preston (04/12/2009 at 15:52)
4/12/2009 at 15:14
Like your selection but would swap Kompany for De Jong - as he has extra height to combat Chelsea at set pieces and is a better forward passer (as some other poster on another thread has mentioned)
And I would put Robinho in place of Bellers (if not fit) or in place of Tevez - as I think that his extra skill and vision will be required rather than just the hard graft that Tevez has. He is also the better finisher and I doubt we will get many chances - any we get, we will have to take!
City to win 2-1 - although that is what my heart rather than my head is saying!
adders, Co.Cavan ex Manchester (04/12/2009 at 15:57)
Peter Beagrie`s beagle (04/12/2009 at 16:02)
Like most others, I think if we perform well we could come out with a point, if we don`t we will get solidly beaten.
Let`s get behind the lads and make some noise to give us a twelth man, the Blackburn result will still be on their minds. CTID
james cromley, stockport (04/12/2009 at 16:07)
Blue Eyed Blue, Isle of Man (04/12/2009 at 16:08)
trubluTaplow, Taplow Bucks (04/12/2009 at 16:11)
That's Arsenal out of that cup; now for Chelsea in the league.
Come on City..................at least draw ! !
Tolmie's Tash! (04/12/2009 at 16:44)
We are unbalanced, we are dodgy at the back, we don't look anything like a "team" and we're simply playing poorly with little rhythm.
MH is turning good players into average ones (don't even bother talking about playing beating Arsenal's binlids by the way..... )
City 0 - 3 Chelsea
Sorry to be so brutally honest but it's just the way I see it. Sorry again; I'm not trying to wind anyone up - just depressed about such a great start turning into usual dross.
i8manutd MB (04/12/2009 at 16:47)
Given, Toure, Kompany, Lescot, Bridge, SWP, DJ, GB, Robiniho, Tevez Bellamy.
Ade not playing well at the moment and needs a rest!
bluemoon risin' (04/12/2009 at 16:48)
start. MJ needs to impress Hughes to remain in the squad and he has the ability to make an impact on the game[if selected] i just hope he can rekindle the form he had before going off the boil and then being injured for so long. Hughes will probably opt Robinho to come in for Bellers, who is[imo] wasted on LW. Problem is we have Tevez playing where Robinho would like to be and be more affective there than wide left. Then there's De Jong and company to choose between for defensive midfield. SWP and Weiss is another area where we have healthy competition. He's gotta go for shaunie after wed night i think, but if he reverts back to running up blind alleys, get young Vlad on and give him half hour at least to see what he can do.
I hope that team maintain the upbeat momentum from beating arsenal tomorrow, but we supporters must play our part also in getting behind the team.
A win is achievable, a draw would be acceptable, but if we lose, Please Hughesy put some fire in their belly's and lets go down fighting rather than giving up and accepting defeat.
Come on City- Come on City- Come on city...
hamann21 (04/12/2009 at 16:56)
We will be missing him tomorrow.
City depend on DeJong and Barry's work at the engine room.
Unite against the UAF (04/12/2009 at 17:14)
ireland7 johnson6 (04/12/2009 at 17:42)
Esso Blue, In Association with prometheus, Manchester (04/12/2009 at 17:55)
Red Afro, Derby (04/12/2009 at 17:58)
Chapman (04/12/2009 at 18:02)
GK - Taylor
( would be able to control his area when high crosses were coming in,unlike Given)
DEF : Richards,Onuoha,Kompany,Bridge
( Plenty of strength and speed)
MID : Wright-Phillips,Johnson,Barry,Robinho
( Mixture of skill and the ability to keep possession)
FOR : Tevez,Santa Cruz
( Santa Cruz will poise some aerial problems for Chelsea and Tevez will hound the life out of them)
SUBS : Given,Sylvinho,De Jong,Lescott,Toure,Petrov,Adebayor.I'm assuming Ireland,Bellamy,Weiss and Zabaleta are all injured.