Watch live on Saturday Night Football from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. Also watch in-game clips and highlights on skysports.com and Sky Sports app
Friday 13 September 2019 18:43, UK
Team news, key stats and predictions ahead of Norwich vs Manchester City in the Premier League.
Norwich have been hit by a string of injury setbacks ahead of the visit of champions Manchester City. Full-back Max Aarons (ankle) is set for a spell out following injury on international duty with England U21s, while fellow Young Lions defender Ben Godfrey will be assessed on a groin problem.
Goalkeeper Tim Krul (elbow) is also doubtful and on-loan City winger Patrick Roberts is not eligible to face his parent club. Midfielders Mario Vrancic and Moritz Leitner (both calf) are sidelined, along with Tom Trybull (ankle), while captain Christoph Zimmermann (foot), defender Timm Klose and winger Onel Hernandez (both knee) all continue their own rehabilitation.
City defender John Stones is fit to return after a thigh injury. He will take the place of Aymeric Laporte, who has been ruled out for five to six months after undergoing knee surgery. Striker Gabriel Jesus (thigh) is back in contention and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has overcome a stomach bug but Benjamin Mendy (knee) is not yet ready to return and winger Leroy Sane (knee) is out long term.
Norwich vs Manchester City is live on Saturday Night Football from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
You have no reason to look at the concerns of Man City and worry, apart from the injury to Aymeric Laporte perhaps. Norwich are good going forward - everyone is talking about Teemu Pukki but Todd Cantwell has started great too. The full-backs like to get high, but they will not be doing that against City. The Norwich defenders will be rash against Pep Guardiola's side. The fact Grant Hanley cannot get in the Scotland side tells you something.
Daniel Farke does not adopt a plan B, which I applaud - the expectation is that you are going to get beat. If you ask 90 per cent of Norwich fans right now if they would take a 4-1 hammering trying to open the game up, or whether they would rather lose 1-0 and not have a shot on goal, I think they would go for the former. It is not an embarrassment losing to Manchester City but they need to go at it from a positive aspect, which is how you test yourself. Kevin De Bruyne was amazing in Glasgow, as was Raheem Sterling over the international break, which is why I will go with this scoreline.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-6 (66/1 with Sky Bet)
Raheem Sterling (£11.6m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£11.2m) starred for England and Belgium respectively over the international break and are similarly priced. Who will you pick? Play Fantasy Football here.
