Sunday 28 August 2016 16:05, UK
New Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will not go straight into the team for the Super Sunday clash at home to West Ham, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 3.30pm.
Willy Caballero, who has played the first two league matches, is therefore expected to feature again, even though Joe Hart kept a clean sheet in the midweek Champions League play-off win over Steaua Bucharest.
Slaven Bilic believes West Ham United can pick themselves up after their Europa League elimination by Astra Giurgiu and prove their character by getting a result against City.
For the second year in a row, West Ham failed to make the competition's group stage after being eliminated by Astra, following up a 1-1 draw in Bucharest with a 1-0 defeat at the London Stadium on Thursday - their first loss at their new home.
Despite the disappointment, Bilic believes his side can lift themselves and get a result from Pep Guardiola's City, having masterminded a 2-1 victory in the corresponding fixture last season.
"We are all disappointed because it was a big blow last night," Bilic told reporters on Friday. "But we have to pick ourselves up and show character and quality."
Striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been cleared of serious injury after being carried off against Steaua, but captain Vincent Kompany, right-back Bacary Sagna and midfielders Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan are not yet fit.
For West Ham, Bilic has recently been without his main creative threats, Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini, but hopes at least one of them will be fit to face City.
Skipper Mark Noble should be available after he rested a minor knock against Astra, but fellow midfielder Havard Nordtveit is set to miss out.
City have lost only one of their last 10 Premier League meetings with West Ham on home soil (W8 D1), though it did come last time out in September 2015 (1-2).
West Ham have beaten Man City just twice away from home in the Premier League (D2 L11), 1-0 at Maine Road in 2003 and 2-1 at the Etihad in September 2015.
Sergio Aguero has been involved in eight goals in his last seven Premier League matches against West Ham United (six goals, two assists).
Aguero has scored 37 goals in 47 Premier League games against London teams and six in eight league apps against West Ham United.
The Argentine striker is the fourth player to score a penalty in each of the first two matchdays of a Premier League season (Duncan Ferguson in 2001/02, Frank Lampard in 2012/13 and Roberto Soldado in 2013/14). None of those players managed to continue the run into MD3.
West Ham have now scored in 15 successive Premier League matches - the longest such current run in the competition.
West Ham fell over the line in their first league game at home and City haven't really done anything wrong yet. They won well at Stoke and I think they will be a bit more efficient this season.
West Ham have a tricky game on Thursday which could take a bit out of them. Also, you can't work on team shape as much with a Thursday game so they won't have as much time to prepare as City.
I didn't see too much change in City's first game against Sunderland but since then they have scored four and five, so you can't really complain. Guardiola is a winner and he gets teams going. I said at the start of the season it's out of City, Manchester United and Chelsea and I can't see any different.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (Sky Bet odds 13/2)
Manchester City are just 2/7 with Sky Bet to secure the points on Super Sunday, with West Ham up against odds of 9/1 for the win and 9/2 just to secure a draw.
Aguero heads the first goalscorer betting at just 5/2 while the market in wide open on the Hammers' side as Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho are considered their main threat at 11/1 apiece.
All of the Soccer Saturday pundits are backing Aguero to net in a City win, including Charlie Nicholas' 28/1 fancy for the Argentina star to score twice in a 3-1 home win.
There's £5,000 up for grabs for the Etihad Stadium clash in Sky Sports Fantasy Six-a-Side. Pick your VI for free here.
