DANNY Mills could make his first start of the Stuart Pearce era as Manchester City look to enhance their UEFA Cup hopes at the expense of Aston Villa.
The former England international has been an ever-present on the substitutes' bench since Pearce replaced Kevin Keegan as manager in March but with Richard Dunne ruled out following ankle surgery, Mills is expecting a recall.
Eighteen-year-old Nedum Onuoha is set to switch from the full-back role to move in alongside skipper Sylvain Distin in his preferred central defensive position as City attempt to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches.
Villa will definitely be missing Gavin McCann who is out for the season, while Olaf Mellberg is unlikey to be fit in time for the City match, as David O'Leary tries to bounce back from Villa's battering at the hands of Spurs.
Provisional squad: James, Weaver, Mills, Onouha, Distin, Sommeil, Jordan, Thatcher, Croft, S Wright-Phillips, McManaman, Reyna, Flood, Barton, Sibierski, Musampa, Fowler, Macken, B Wright-Phillips.
Villa v City - the stats
Latest form:
Villa - DWDDL
City - WDWDW
Recent encounters:
Nov 27, 2005 City 2, Villa 0
April 4, 2004 Villa 1 City 1
Sept 14, 2003 City 4, Villa 1
Dec 26, 2002 City 3, Villa 1
Top scorers:
Villa - Solano 9, Angel 8, Barry 7
CITY - Fowler 11, S. Wright-Phillips 10, Anelka (now Fenerbache) 7
Referee:
Richard Beeby (Northampton) - Been around the Championship for some time but no record of Premiership outing this season.
Danger man:
Nobby Solano - Peru's former Newcastle man provides the width and creativity in the Villa team and also tops the scoring charts. It's a potent combination similar to Wright-Phillip's influence for the Blues.
Prediction:
Villa 1 City 1
Do you agree? Have your say.
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CITY score first , CITY WIN !
Come on you BLUES!
We shall all see the best of Onouha at the Villa because playing in the centre of the defence is where he really belongs,furthermore lets keep our fingers crossed Mills dosen't cost us the game and with it a chance of playing in EUROPE again next season!
I travelled last week from Greece and watched my first City match against the Pompeys.If we play like the first half we will have any problem to win Villa.I read very carefully players' and coach's comments this week and proved to me that City has the right spirit to win.Tomorrow i will be to the Villa Park and i will celebrate the 1-2 WIN with Sibierski and Fowler the scorers.Let's fight for Europe...We have the passion and the spirit to achieve this.COME ON CITY!
4-0 for City...SWP to have one of those special days...i can feel it!
We've got a good record against the villains, so lets hope we extend it to another victory. It should be a very competitve game, with both clubs clinging to European hopes, especially with Millsy playing - is pixie boy Hendrie playing tomorrow, should be interesting......My money's on SWeeP to score both in a 1 - 2 win for the mighty City.
Vs. Villa
James, Mills, Onuoha, Distin, Thatcher (I think Jordan's injured) , Croft, Reyna, SWP, Barton, Musampa, Fowler. Bench: Weaver, Sommiel, BWP, Bosvelt, Flood (or Jordan).
Villa 1 City 2.
Boro 1 Spurs 1
Vs. Boro
Same team
City 3 Boro 0.
Spurs 0 Blackburn 0
City play UEFA Cup next season. Easy. Isn't it? Here's hoping.
Got this feeling we're going to beat villa tomorrow. Maybe not by a high score but a win is a win. Beat boro (finally) on the last day after SP has been named manager before a packed house. Sounds perfect to me. Come on City
city will do the same as last time but this time it will be easy to predict 2-0 for city scorers fowler, wright-phillips come on city!!!!
Giorgos - welcome!
May you have many years of pleasure as a CTID.
Don't care how they do it, as long as they win the match. Spirit is good, Villa might not have recovered from the 1-5 beating last weekend. City to win this one, close. We have a good record versus Villa, so let's try and keep it up. 2-1 to City then?
Can't wait for tomorrows game. I've only managed Boro and Newcastle away this season so looking forward to the crack. A nice boring 1-0 win for the blues will do me just fine. Let's be avin yer!!!
Cmon fellas big game here, lets get behind the whole team. Espescially the likes of Sibierski, Musampa, Mills, and Macken if he plays. Instead of bagging them, cheer them on, lets see how that works.