Manchester United vs Manchester City: Pep Guardiola's Best Available Citizens Lineup

As Wednesday's Manchester derby fast approaches, City boss Pep Guardiola will not be taking any risks with his starting XI as his side travel to Old Trafford.

After suffering a crushing Champions League exit to Tottenham last week, Guardiola's side regrouped and managed to secure a 1-0 league victory over Spurs on the weekend.

As City starlet Phil Foden nodded in his first Premier League goal for the club during the affair, he may well be in contention to start again on Wednesday night. 

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For Manchester United however, having suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Everton on Sunday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be looking to reignite his team's desire for a strong finish this season.

To combat any potential disruption to City's title conquest, here's a look at how Guardiola's could line up his side for the clash.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

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Ederson (GK) - Having an excellent season for the Citizens, the Brazilian goalkeeper has been rewarded with a whopping 16 clean sheets already. Appearing in 34 league games under Guardiola this season, the shot-stopper made some vital saves against Tottenham to ensure City bagged the win.

Kyle Walker (RB) - A former Spurs man himself, Walker played another 90 minutes against his old club on Saturday, and put in another decent performance. With his ability to get forward being a good weapon for Guardiola - having provided a goal and an assist this season - it's likely he'll start on Wednesday.

Aymeric Laporte (CB) - The French centre-half signed for City from Athletic Bilbao last January, and after only making seven appearances in the 2017/18 season, has found his feet in Guardiola's XI. A regular starter for most of this year's Premier League campaign, he has also offered an attacking threat and earned himself two goals for his efforts.

John Stones (CB) - The England international has vastly improved in his last few seasons of Premier League football, and has matured into a very reliable defender for Guardiola's side. Although Vincent Kompany is pushing for a spot in the squad, Stones' solid performances as of late might see him keep his shirt.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (LB) - Having already provided three assists in only 10 starts for Manchester City this season, the young Ukrainian is learning to adapt to life as a left-back. Whilst he continues to impress, it seems it may be a position he could hold down until Benjamin Mendy returns to match fitness.

Midfielders

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Fernandinho (CM) - The Brazilian has struggled to get back to full fitness recently after a muscle injury, however he was a substitute for Kevin De Bruyne as the Belgian hobbled off with an injury on Saturday. If he is fit to start, his presence could offer Pep's midfield an experienced, crucial layer of support.

Ilkay Gundogan (CM) - Having appeared 27 times for City this season, the German has earned himself warranted praise for his efforts. Struggling to break into the starting XI during his previous seasons at the club, the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder is beginning to boss the Manchester City midfield and has grabbed himself five goals this campaign.

Phil Foden (CM) - Having stolen the headlines on the weekend, the Englishman's goal against Spurs proved to be the difference in a game of very tight margins. The next step? Game time. If Guardiola starts him on Wednesday, which he should do, Foden will have the chance to prove himself again on an even bigger stage. Even more so now with the expected absence of De Bruyne, he could be instrumental in City's success during the end of season run-in.

Forwards

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Bernardo Silva (RW) - A player who misses out on a lot of the starlight, Bernardo Silva's recent performances have been sublime for the Citizens. Providing a fantastic ball that helped create Foden's goal, Silva is showing why the reported €50m they spent on him is worth its weight in gold. The former Monaco man has six goals and seven assists in the league this season.

Sergio Aguero (ST) - His name speaks for itself, and so do the 19 goals that he's already got this season. A prolific marksman, who is the all time top Manchester derby goal scorer, will be looking to add to his tally on Wednesday night. Having provided a selfless assist for Foden's goal on the weekend, he could definitely be causing Solskjaer's defence problems in his pursuit of the 2018/19 Golden Boot.

Raheem Sterling (LW) - A PFA Player of the Year nominee for his performances this season, Sterling has earned all the praise he has been given. After a successful 2018 World Cup campaign with England, he has taken his experience into the league this season and scored an impressive 17 goals. Paired with his nine assists over the course of the campaign, Sterling could certainly grab a goal if he is to start on Wednesday.