Preview: City v Wigan

A fixture that would have been widely considered our most straight-forward of the season's remainder has now taken on extra significance in light of the recent reverse at the hands of David Moyes' Everton. The knives are out for Mancini again, and a general losing of cool as well as our undefeated home record means we approach the game not certain of three points as we might previously have.

Emmanuel Adebayor has now completed the four-match ban for his red card at Stoke. Stevie Ireland hurt a shin during that painful defeat and will have a fitness test. Other than that the bodies missing are the same as expected - Joleon Lescott (hamstring), Wayne Bridge (groin), Martin Petrov and Michael Johnson (both knee).

Wigan are likely to be without influential midfielder Charles N'Zogbia who has injured a hip. The former Newcastle man bagged the opener during the reverse fixture in October and has excelled in a right-sided role this season. Emmerson Boyce and Paul Scharner have groin and thigh problems respectively, but are both expected to make the Latics final eighteen.

The visitors have won only two away games in all competitions since a splendid opening day victory at Villa Park. Last time out saw them making the short drive back from Bolton having been on the end of a Lancashire Derby mauling. They do have a relatively good record against us, however, earning a couple of wins at Eastlands over recent years, and although those were against a very different City side, they generally prove stubborn opponents.

Now that Eastlands has been breached it will be interesting to see if the Blues can do what good sides tend to and put a poor result behind them and get back to business. I thought we lost the physical battle in midfield on Wednesday, and if Wigan line up with a central three as expected then we mightn't have it all our own way.

Though his form has been patchy this season i'm sure Mancini will opt to recall Manu. Seven points from twelve without him hasn't been a bad return, but on Wednesday especially we struggled to keep the ball upfield, and despite our better football of the season coming in his absence there's only so much work Carlos Tevez can do.

I thought Pablo did okay at left-back against Everton, and he should continue there. Hopefully we'll see a more mature performance from the centre-halves, too. Both were disappointing, and as has been covered several times both here and elsewhere, that came as a bit of a shock to the system after the progress Vince and Joleon had been making over previous weeks.

If Martinez does attempt a containment job on our midfield then impressive youngster James McCarthy and Rodallega could play wide of a lone targetman, ether new arrival Marcelo Moreno or Jason Scotland. Either still to open their Premier League accounts has the nerves atwitching. Livewire winger Victor Moses, allegedly a target for us before making a £2.5m move to the JJB, may also figure from the bench.

Given Spurs winning yet again, and Liverpool overtaking us, this is absolutely must-win, and i think we'll get a real clue about our credentials for a top four place. Several times this season the lads have proven us wrong when approaching potential 'typical City' trip-ups, and though this isn't the most exciting of fixtures we must make sure that we turn up, cut out the wobbles, and get the job done. A fixture that tends to be settled by a single goal, a repeat of last season's scrappy 1-0 will be fine.

Possible teams:
City: Given, Richards, Zabaleta, Toure, Kompany, de Jong, A.Johnson, Barry, Tevez, Adebayor, Bellamy

Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Figueroa, Bramble, Caldwell, Scharner, Diame, Thomas, McCarthy, Moreno, Rodallega

Prediction: City 1 Wigan 0