Wednesday 31 January 2018 21:22, UK
Pep Guardiola has backed his new signing Aymeric Laporte to be ready to play ahead of Manchester City's game against West Brom at the Etihad.
Laporte signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with City after they activated his £57m release clause making him the club's record signing ahead of Kevin De Bruyne.
"He is fit, he has been playing the last period so I think he is ready. Of course, he has to adapt, the Premier League is special in many senses, but I think he is intelligent and he will read the situation," Guardiola said.
City have also been linked with a move for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred but Guardiola played down the chances of that deal being done before the deadline.
"I don't know. I don't think so but in football everything can happen. I am 95-99 per cent that nothing is going happen," he added.
Alan Pardew has also been busy this week, adding Daniel Sturridge to his squad on loan from Liverpool until the end of the season and he was full of praise for his new recruit.
"You would have to put him in the same category as Harry Kane," said Pardew. "Harry has had a great spell in terms of fitness and is at the top of his game. That's understandable that he is probably ahead of Daniel.
"But Daniel has the potential, particularly against teams I think where you need goals, where you need to break them down, he has some individual flair that not many players can match."
Pardew was also adamant that both Jonny Evans and James McClean would stay, saying: "I think Jonny Evans will stay at this football club. We do have one player that could go out but it's not Jonny Evans or James McClean."
Manchester City winger Leroy Sane has been ruled out for up to six weeks - and will miss the Carabao Cup final - after suffering ankle ligament damage in Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round win over Cardiff.
The German winger joins striker Gabriel Jesus and left-backs Benjamin Mendy and Fabian Delph (all knee) on the sidelines.
West Brom are waiting on the fitness of a handful of players ahead of their trip to the Premier League leaders.
Evans and Hal Robson-Kanu have hamstring problems and will be assessed. Pardew also has other players nursing injuries following the FA Cup win at Liverpool on Saturday night but he refused to name them.
Sturridge could make his debut at the Etihad after joining from Liverpool on loan until the end of the season, although fellow new signing Ali Gabr in unlikely to be involved.
West Brom have done really well recently. I know when Alan Pardew first came in their results didn't pick up straight away but their performances did. They just weren't getting much luck but now they are and the results have followed.
However, this is a bit of nightmare game for them. I can never back against Manchester City at home and expect them to wrap up a convincing win.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0
Manchester City are Sky Bet's shortest-priced favourites of the week at just 1/7 to see off 14/1 shots West Brom, while the draw is priced at 13/2.
Sergio Aguero is the 5/2 favourite in the first goalscorer betting, with Daniel Sturridge enhanced from 12/1 to 16/1 to break the deadlock in Sky Bet's Price Boosts.
Wednesday night's Premier League clashes make up the midweek Super 6 line-up, with the £1m still to be won.
