New boss Roberto Mancini is forced to change his back four after skipper Kolo Toure joined with the Ivory Coast for the African Nations Cup.
And with Joleon Lescott, Nedum Onouha and Wayne Bridge out injured, Javier Garrido could get his first start for nine months after his cameos in the Italian's first two games in charge.
That could see Richards moving to centre half to play alongside Vincent Kompany - a switch he is more than comfortable with.
“I like the freedom of playing full back but I am equally happy at centre half,” he said.
“I feel as if I am coming into the game in a decent patch of form and hopefully that will continue.”
Richards, who was part of the side beaten 8-1 at Middlesbrough in Sven Goran Eriksson's last game in charge, is fully focused on the game despite the impending Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United.
"Having tasted the excitement of reaching the final stages of the Carling Cup we want more of it in the FA Cup," he said.
"We are not bothered about fixture congestion or anything like that because the longer you stay in competitions and the more games you have then the more successful you are being.
“We know that Boro have not been having the best of runs in the league but I know they have good players, talented players, and we know too that they will feel they have nothing to lose.
“One of this club’s worst experiences in football in recent years – probably ever - was at Boro when we lost 8-1 and it would be nice for the fans to come away from the Riverside feeling happy.”
Meanwhile, Shaun Wright-Phillips, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury is struggling to be fit while Stephen Ireland (hamstring) is out for a fortnight.
Striker Emmanuel Adebayor is also missing on African Nations Cup duty while Roque Santa Cruz (calf) is doubtful.
Team (from): Given, Taylor, Zabaleta, Richards, Sylvinho, Garrido, Trippier, Wright-Phillips, Kompany, De Jong, Barry, Bellamy, Robinho, Petrov, Weiss, Tevez, Santa Cruz, Vidal, Boyata, Nimely, McDermott.
Key opponent: Marcus Bent - Premier League experience but has struggled in his loan spell in the north east.
Prediction: 1-2 City will give their fans a familiar fright before squeezing through.
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Prediction: 1-2 City will give their fans a familiar fright before squeezing through.????
City will win by 3 clear goals and Boro won't even get a sniff.
CITY FOR LIFE
Hope Vinnie and Micah don't end up scrappin again.
This could prove to be an awkward tie.I honestly believe we'll have one eye on Wednesday evening and we'll probably end up drawing this game.I'd definitly start with Weiss and one or two youngsters who'll be desperate to impress Mancini,with a few of the big guns on the bench.
Looking forward to seeing Weiss start hopefully, we all know he's going to be some player and now all he needs are starts to just show how good he is and that he's ready. Just give him the ball and watch him thrill.
woolleyback blue, Heart of the City
1/01/2010 at 16:01
""City will win by 3 clear goals and Boro won't even get a sniff. ""
Eternal optimism of the City fan again!
Remember that for most of their players its not just the game of their season but the game of their careers, plus we've got a lot of key players out, not only in defence but also Ireland and SWP.
They were also a premiership side last season so have that experience at their club.
I'll settle for any victory in this banana skin fixture, a back four including Zabaleta, Kompany and Richards at centre back will give us some steel in defence a game that won't be for the faint hearted.
I'm going with the 1-2 prediction.
3-0 to city for me. Boro not in the same class..
Tough game but City to win 3-0.
if someone had told any of us three seasons ago that we'd have a team missing the likes of wright-phillips, johnson, ireland, adebayor, bridge, lescott, toure, onuoha and santa cruz and still go away from home and put in that type of performance against wolves, oh and have some bloke called robinho on the bench and senior mancini as manager - we'd reach for the butterfly net. oh, and we are the richest club in the world...........life is good.
by the way, anyone noticed how fickle the journos are. 10 days ago it was - "city a disgrace, falling apart at the seams, 7th if their lucky"......now its - "coming into form, favourites for 4th, mancini a genius and a great guy".........annoying.
Injured - Wright-Phillips,Santa Cruz( hard to believe I know),Bridge,Ireland,Ball,Johnson,Lescott and Onuoha
African cup - Toure and Adebayor
Out on loan - Hart,Jo,Etuhu,Bojinov and Caicedo.
Fifteen squad players not available to us.Can we not get any of these long -term loan players back?
I suspect the team may be :
GK - Given
DEF - Zabaleta,Richards,Kompany,Sylvinho,
MID - Weiss,De Jong,Garrido,Petrov,
FOR - Benjani,Robinho
Subs - Taylor,Boyata,Vidal,Nimely,Bellamy,Tevez,Barry
Team to play Boro
GK Given
RB Zabeleta CB Richards CB Kompany LB Garrdo
RM Weiss CM Barry CM De Jong LM Petrov
CF Bellamy CF Tevez
Subs Taylor,Vidal,Robinho,Syvinho,Boyata,Trippier,McDermott
City to win 3-1
The side needs balance and playing both Weiss and Rigsby doesn't do that. Also, with Robbie added to the mix that would give 3 players who don't have tracking back and defending in their repertoire. Whilst I'd like to see Weiss get a start I'd prefer to see us more solid and would go with Richards, Boyata, Kompo and Garrido at the back; Zaba, DJ, Barry, Rigsby across the middle and Robbie and Tev up front.
That gives a pretty solid set up and loads of scope to bring Weiss and one of the other youngsters in if we get to a comfortable position.
Nevertheless, we are looking threadbare so where's all those pre-season Meejah jibes about our overloaded list of strikers now?
Alphie Izzet
fifeteen players unavailable,at the last count.funny really unlike the rags making excuses for losing five games before santa kicked up his sleigh we just get on with it. how good is that.
SAM HAGGAR-that was the no nothing rags jumping the gun about all the strikers, when people with a bit of grey matter realised we bought in before we got rid of the dead wood.unlike them who have got enough dead wood to build a bonfire.
If Bellamy needs resting from time to time. No disrespect to Boro but this is 1 of those games. Sit him on the bench lets not risk him. Would also like to see a few of the other lads not rushed back like SWP. Lets give 1 or 2 of the other lads a chance. Pointless paying them a wage if we are not going to give them a chance. There are plenty of bigger games left this season & we may need to fall back on these so called fringe players. So a run out now could be very useful.
9-1 City ....
Boro are playing pretty woefully this season. Fans are impatient and Strachan will see this as a chance to redeem himself a little. We have to be switched on and prepare for a kicking. Should win it, though.
Aparently Boro have only sold 6000 tickets
A quote from the BBC's Preview page:-
"FA Cup form
• Now won the cup since 1969. "
Let's hope the typo is a good omen!*!*!
Chapman you left out McGivern who is on loan at Leicester and may indeed play today. If only Marcus Bent was the key opponent. I think they have a guy named Johnson who is very good indeed - can't see him staying at Boro. In fact he was a rival to Downing so that tells people how good he is. Still if we can keep a clean sheet for the first 30 minutes we'll win this game. I'd give Bellamy a rest - let him play against United.
tim chorlton, chorlton
1/01/2010 at 16:37
Keyword "were". They "were" a PL outfit, now they are a, clinging onto play off place, Championship team who have sold some of their better players, are short on strikers and are far more interested in staying in the play off places. Their recent record under Strachan has been awful. Even depleted as we are we should stroll past them. I don't do optimism I do realism.
CITY FOR LIFE
woolleyback blue, Heart of the City
2/01/2010 at 12:38
Point accepted, its a realistic proposition we should win but I doubt we'll stroll it, thats what I assumed against Forest last year.
The FA cup is an unpredictable beast- an away fixture, they play out of their skins?, remember Halifax town 1980! (I was 11 at the time).
id take a scrappy 1-0 city win,as long as we remain injury free thats the main thing.
CTID
wouldn,t it be nice to beat another rag.
Robinho, not even on the bench? Is this the end?
just watched the first half not impressed atall winning one nil ok but that was woefull.