Wigan manager Steve Bruce has no fresh injury worries following the defeat by Manchester United in midweek.

Midfielders Olivier Kapo and Michael Brown are both pushing for a place in the starting line-up against their local rivals.

The Latics are close to selling Wilson Palacios to Tottenham for around £14million, but until that deal goes through the midfielder is in Bruce's plans for the City game.

Bruce admitted that if Palacios was to leave it would be a tremendous bit of business by Wigan, who signed the player for around £1million 12 months ago.

He said: “You look at what we bought him for and what we might sell him for and it is quite remarkable.

“But as a manager you don’t want to lose one of your best players.

“Of course we have to be realistic, which I am.

“We are Wigan Athletic and if it is the wish of the player (to leave) all these things have to be taken into consideration.

“Spurs can offer bigger contracts than us. They can blow us out of the water but it would be like losing my right arm.

“The last thing I want to do is dismantle my team. Wilson has come from nowhere to being one of the best midfield players in the country.

“When we played Manchester United in midweek at Old Trafford, it didn’t phase him at all and at his age he can only get better.”

Robinho will return for Manchester City tomorrow but Shaun Wright-Phillips faces a late fitness test before getting the all-clear to face Wigan at Eastlands.

Wright-Phillips has been struggling with a hamstring injury suffered in the FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest and remains 50-50 at best.

Robinho has recovered from an ankle complaint and England full-back Wayne Bridge should make his debut but Stephen Ireland is suspended and Dietmar Hamann begins a lengthy stint on the sidelines after a toe operation.

Manchester City (from): Hart, Schmeichel, Zabaleta, Onuoha, Richards, Dunne, Bridge, Ball, Ben Haim, Garrido, Wright-Phillips, Kompany, Fernandes, Elano, Robinho, Vassell, Jo, Caicedo, Sturridge, Berti.

Wigan Athletic (from): Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner, Figueroa, Valencia, Cattermole, Palacios, Taylor, Heskey, Zaki, Boyce, Brown, Koumas, Edman, Camara, Pollitt, De Ridder, Kapo.

City league form: DLLWD

Wigan league form: DLLWD

Key opponent: Robinho - Can be unstoppable on home turf

Prediction: City 2 Wigan 1 - The Blues are strong at home and it could be tough for Latics

Agree with the prediction? Have your say.

You can get 17/2 on Wigan winning 1-0 with Betfred. For this and more odds, click here.

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