Set up for Mahrez
Pep Guardiola does not have to rotate his team but this is a good opportunity for certain players to show what they are capable of.
Chief among them will be Riyad Mahrez, who has done little wrong in recent weeks yet has started just two of the last seven matches after playing 12 of the previous 13. The form of Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva, plus the return of Phil Foden has pushed Mahrez out of the starting XI.
Burnley feels like an ideal fixture for the Algerian to come back in. Not only does he relish knockout games but he has also scored more goals against Burnley than any other side, netting eight against the Clarets in 14 appearances as well as notching two assists. Mahrez will surely head off to the international break happier if he is able to remind Guardiola of what he is capable of at the weekend.
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Premier League quality
Guardiola was right to say that Burnley should be seen as a team of Premier League quality. They have been head and shoulders above anyone else in the Championship this season and confirmation of their automatic promotion is surely not far away.
That means that while there may be some changes in the team there is not likely to be rests for all the senior stars, and it would not even be a surprise to see Erling Haaland starting looking to add to his incredible goal haul. With club football pausing after this match while internationals are played, there is no midweek game for City that Guardiola has to be mindful of.
Laporte must
That said, Aymeric Laporte will be asking what he has to do to get a start if he is not named in the XI. The Spain defender has been out of favour for some time, having sat out all six games since the draw with Nottingham Forest.
The other four centre-backs are in terrific form but City only need to remember the end of last season to know the value Laporte has, so it is worth keeping him in good nick.
Unbeaten run
Teams from the lower leagues usually have to be in excellent form in their division to progress to the later rounds of the cup. Bristol City were unbeaten in 12 when City headed there in the last round and Burnley have not tasted defeat in 18 matches.
That makes things more difficult for the Premier League side because they are coming up against players who are not used to losing when they step onto the pitch. But the Blues are in decent form themselves and can stretch their unbeaten run into double figures with a win on Saturday.
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