Yaya Toure returns from the African Nations Cup and Mario Balotelli is available after his domestic suspension. Will both start tonight in Portugal?
Roberto Mancini has a couple of big decisions to make as Manchester City re-embark on their stop-start European adventure.
When the draw for the Europa League was made, City could not not have asked for a tougher opponent.
Porto, the defending champions, remain a formidable side, especially at the Riazor, despite the fact Falcao and Guarin are no longer at the club.
£100 million-rated Hulk remains the Portuguese side’s biggest threat, and City centre-back Vincent Kompany will have to be at the top of his game tonight.
Yet it is two returning players for City who could have the most impact.
Roberto Mancini just has to decide whether to play them.
Mario Balotelli is available for the first time since converting the winning penalty in a 3-2 win over Tottenham last month; the striker was handed a four match ban from the FA for kicking Scott Parker.
The controversial Italian is never out of the headlines, and will hope to have a big impact tonight.
His last Europa League away trip ended in farce last year, substituted away to Dinamo Kiev complaining he was allergic to grass.
He has been more reliable in Europe this season, bagging a crucial goal away to Villareal, and Mancini will hope for a similar response tonight whether it is from the bench or from the start.
Balotelli is also fresh, compared to Dzeko and Aguero who have started nearly every game over the past month, although Dzeko was rested against Villa, possibly with Mancini keeping one eye on tonight.
One who may not be so fresh, but Mancini would be brave to leave out is Yaya Toure.
The imposing midfielder returns from the African Nations Cup, keen to put the Ivory Coast’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Zambia behind him.
His brother Kolo is back too, but unexpected to make the starting line-up.
Toure is a player who is irreplaceable in any team, there is no like for like replacement, so to leave him on the bench would be of no advantage to City.
Mancini can only run the rule over his fitness and see how tired he is, and whether he is up to 90 minutes.
Toure is a big game player, as he proved in the FA Cup last season, and City will need him to show it again tonight.
Will City beat Porto tonight? Who will be the key men?
image: © marc_tacoma
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