Manchester City are red-hot favourites to pick up three more valuable points in the Premier League title race when they host relegation battlers Luton Town on Saturday.
City could not have asked for a much more favourable fixture inbetween the two legs of their titanic Champions League quarter-final tussle against Real Madrid, having drawn the first leg 3-3 in a scintillating contest in Spain on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola’s team are one point behind Arsenal and Liverpool with seven games to play, while Luton head to the Etihad Stadium for the 3pm kick-off after ending an 11-match winless run with a home victory over Bournemouth last weekend.
Luton boss realistic about task facing his team
Luton manager Rob Edwards has said his team may need as many as three or four more wins to remain in the Premier League, which sounds like a tall task when they have only six league games remaining and the first one is a daunting trip to play the champions.
The Hatters are unsurprisingly a huge price to cause an upset – they are available at 18/1 with bet365 for a sensational win – but once this game is out of the way Luton’s schedule becomes much less challenging.
They can take their fate in their own hands with games against relegation rivals Brentford and Everton, and with Wolves, West Ham and Fulham also to play this is Luton’s last game against an elite team this season.
“It is going to be difficult against City away, but we will go there with a plan and try to compete like we have in every single game,” said Edwards.
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Man City vs Luton team news
Manchester City’s injury update after their trip to Madrid was upbeat with Phil Foden able to train after taking a knock in that game, while Kevin De Bruyne is over the illness that kept him out of that contest as an unused substitute.
Even so, City are likely to field a much-changed squad. Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake are unlikely to be risked after missing the Madrid match and John Stones and Rodri are also likely to sit it out.
Rico Lewis, Sergio Gomez, Matheus Nunes, Julian Alvarez, Jeremy Doku and Oscar Bobb could all get a chance to impress, while Ederson may return in goal to build up his match fitness.
Luton’s Issa Kabore is on a year-long loan from City, so is ineligible to play against his parent club.
Meanwhile, Mads Andersen, Dan Potts, Jacob Brown, Elijah Adebayo, Chiedozie Ogbene, Amari’i Bell, Marvelous Nakamba and Albert Sambi Lokonga are all set to miss out through injury and Gabriel Osho is doubtful.
Daiki Hashioka could be in line to start in Luton’s three-man defence alongside Reece Burke and Teden Mengi if Osho is not passed fit.
Man City vs Luton Predicted XIs
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Stones, Gomez; Kovacic, Nunes; Bobb, Silva, Doku; Alvarez.
Luton Town (3-4-3): Kaminski; Burke, Mengi, Hashioka; Onyedinma, Barkley, Clark, Doughty; Townsend, Morris, Chong.