Erling Braut Haaland has been ruled out of Manchester City's Premier League clash against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.
The 22-year-old withdrew from the Norway squad during the international break due to a groin injury and Pep Guardiola revealed on Friday that he would be assessed in training ahead of the lunchtime kickoff with the Reds.
However, the Citizens have decided not to risk their leading marksman, who has not been selected in Guardiola's matchday squad, while Phil Foden is also absent as he recovers from appendicitis surgery.
Guardiola has made a total of six changes from the side that beat Burnley in the FA Cup two weeks ago, with Haaland, Foden, Stefan Ortega, Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte and Rico Lewis all dropping out of the starting lineup.
A back four of John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake will protect goalkeeper Ederson between the sticks.
Ilkay Gundogan returns to captain the Citizens and is joined in centre-midfield by Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, while Julian Alvarez replaces Haaland in attack and will line up alongside Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish in the front three.
As for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has made just two changes from the side that lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie before the international break, with Jordan Henderson and Harvey Elliott replacing James Milner and Darwin Nunez.
Nunez was an injury doubt leading up to the contest at the Etihad, but the Uruguayan has recovered from a minor ankle issue and is named on the substitutes' bench.
A back four of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson remains intact, protecting goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Henderson and Elliott will both start in centre-midfield alongside Fabinho, while Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota are selected in attack.
Manchester City: Ederson; Stones, Akanji, Dias, Ake; Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Alvarez, Grealish
Subs: Ortega, Walker, Phillips, Laporte, Bernardo, Gomez, Perrone, Palmer, Lewis
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Elliott; Salah, Gakpo, Jota
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Matip, Tsimikas, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arthur, Milner, Nunez, Firmino
Oliver Thomas
