A shortage of striking options for next week's win at Old Trafford?

With news of Robinho being out of action for at least three weeks due to his ankle injury, and with Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz also injured and Emmanuel Adebayor facing a ban of some sort following Robin van Persie headbutting his foot, we might struggle to have a fit strike pairing for next week's Derby, funny when you think folks were making a big deal of our having about ninety strikers just a few weeks back.

Adebayor's actions yesterday really couldn't have come at a worse time, as much as i think the reaction since has been a bit silly and over the top. I'd be surprised if anything by the way of a ban came from his goal celebration, but the van Persie incident was unnecessary and will probably result in at least a three-game suspension.

It means that Sunday's trip across town might not be as easy a win as we'd have hoped. Craig Bellamy was excellent against Arsenal, our man of the match by some distance, in my opinion. He'll almost certainly have to play a more central role against them lot, but without a targetman alongside him he might well find himself short of support.

It's a funny situation we find ourselves in, and it may result in us having to call on Notts County target Benjani, who himself is said to be carrying an injury. I had hoped we might not have to suffer the embarrassment of seeing him in a City shirt again, but we may have little choice. Saying that, the boy does have form there, scoring what proved to be the winner in our easy three points the season before last. I'm sure the irony of the world's richest club having to stick a donkey with a 1-in-4 strikerate upfront won't be lost on anyone.