Manchester City attacker Phil Foden has been named on the substitutes' bench for the Premier League lunchtime kickoff against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The England international inspired the Citizens to a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa on Wednesday after scoring a superb hat-trick, his second of the season to increase his goal tally to 21 in all competitions.
However, with one eye presumably on next Tuesday's Champions League showdown with Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola has decided to bench in-form Foden against Palace and has made a total of four changes to the side that beat Villa in midweek, with Manuel Akanji, Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku also making way.
John Stones has been handed his first start since recovering from a groin injury sustained on England duty last month, and he replaces Akanji to join Rico Lewis, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol in a four-man defence.
Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will start his third successive Premier League game, even though first-choice shot-stopper Ederson has recovered from a muscle injury to make the matchday squad.
Lynchpin Rodri retains his spot in centre-midfield, while Kevin De Bruyne, who was rested in midweek, returns to the first XI and will make his 250th Premier League appearance for Man City.
De Bruyne is set to operate in the No.10 role along with Julian Alvarez, while Erling Haaland – who like De Bruyne was rested in midweek – returns to lead the line. Oscar Bobb and Jack Grealish, meanwhile, both start on the flanks.
As for Crystal Palace, Oliver Glasner has named an unchanged lineup from their 1-0 lost at Bournemouth on Tuesday.
However, the Eagles have been boosted by the news that Michael Olise is fit to make the substitutes' bench after over two months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury – Glasner revealed at his press conference yesterday that the winger could feature for the final 15-20 minutes of the second half.
Jefferson Lerma will continue as a left-sided centre-back in a three-man defence alongside Joachim Andersen and Joel Ward, while Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell operate as wing-backs.
Will Hughes and Adam Wharton will links arms in centre-midfield, while Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored along with Olise in the 2-2 draw with Man City in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium in December, will be joined in attack by Eberechi Eze and Jordan Ayew.
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Munoz, Ward, Andersen, Lerma, Mitchell; Hughes, Wharton; Ayew, Mateta, Eze
Subs: Matthews, Tomkins, Clyne, Schlupp, Ozoh, Ahamada, Umeh, Olise, Edouard
Manchester City: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri; Bobb, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Grealish; Haaland
Subs: Ederson, Kovacic, Doku, Bernardo, Gomez, Akanji, Nunes, Foden, Susoho
Oliver Thomas
