Man City line-up vs Sparta Prague predicted as Grealish and Doku decisions made amid Kovacic plan

Manchester City resume their Champions League campaign tonight against Sparta Prague at the Etihad.

The Blues remain unbeaten and come into the tie buoyed by a last-gasp weekend winner at Wolves in the Premier League. That ensured they moved three points clear of Arsenal in the table with City a point adrift of early leaders Liverpool.

In Europe, City have four points from two games and will be targeting a win tonight with Pep Guardiola, who will likely make changes tonight, seeking home comforts in a bid to make the top eight and secure a direct place into the last 16.

READ MORE: Guardiola opens up on John Stones anger for breaking Man City rule

READ MORE: Man City handed concerning update on De Bruyne and Walker

Stefan Ortega started in Bratislava and this feels like another opportunity to give the German game time. It might be too soon for Nathan Ake to come straight back into the team having only made his return to training late last week so Josko Gvardiol could be asked to continue on the left.

With Kyle Walker injured, Rico Lewis will start on the opposite flank and Manuel Akanji could well return to the centre of defence after missing the win over Wolves. John Stones seems the most likely to miss out with Ruben Dias continuing in the middle.

Matteo Kovacic has an important role to play this season in the absence of the injured Rodri and a rest for the Croat would make sense. Matheus Nunes can come in alongside Ilkay Gundogan with Bernardo Silva likely needed further forward unless City take a risk on Jack Grealish or Jeremy Doku, who were both absent from open training on Tuesday.

Phil Foden surely starts in his quest to kickstart his campaign with Savinho the obvious candidate to complete the attacking trio behind Erling Haaland given the injury concerns elsewhere. James McAtee will hope for further minutes having scored off the bench in Bratislava but he may have to make do with a spot among the subs tonight.

City predicted XI: Ortega, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Nunes, Gundogan; Savinho, Foden, Bernardo, Haaland