League leaders Manchester City resume their Premier League campaign after the international break with a home game against Everton on Saturday.
The Citizens lightning start to their campaign has stuttered in recent weeks with a draw against Celtic and a defeat by Tottenham last time out ending their perfect start to the campaign.
Pep Guardiola’s side head into this weekend’s tricky fixture with Everton at the Etihad Stadium with doubts over the fitness of attacking midfield pair Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.
Both players have enjoyed outstanding starts to the campaign. Guardiola is getting the best out of Sterling, who struggled to justify his big price tag last season following a big-money move from Liverpool.
Sterling pulled out of England’s squad for the recent internationals with a calf problem but seems likely to recover in time to face Everton.
De Bruyne has been one of the Citizens most important players this season so far. However, he missed City’s trip to Spurs last time out and he is regarded as a major doubt for the visit of the Toffees on Sunday.
If both players fail to recover then that leaves a lot of the creative burden on Spanish playmaker David Silva, who has not been at his best this season. The likes of summer arrivals Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan could also be looked to for creatively.
However, whoever comes into the starting line-up will struggle to replace two of City’s best performers this season so far.
Everton are unlikely to be easy opponents either, especially if striker Romelu Lukaku recovers from a thigh problem picked up while playing for Belgium.
Under Ronald Koeman, the Toffees are far more solid in defence, so City may need to be patient in their play to break down the Toffees.
Guardiola faces the first real test of his City career so far and the Catalan boss will surely be hoping that he has two of his most creative players available to him for a potentially tricky encounter.