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Manchester City can take encouragement from Arsenal’s laboured performance against Wolves, but nevertheless the league leaders’ late winner means City kick off at Selhurst Park five points behind.

Pep Guardiola’s team are coming down from the high of beating Real Madrid on their own patch, a victory that means a top-eight finish in the Champions League table is within their grasp.

A trip to Crystal Palace after a European away game is a stringent test, and Oliver Glasner’s team have the chance to go back above Chelsea and into the top four. Other than Arsenal, no team has conceded fewer Premier League goals than Palace.

They should have Ismaila Sarr available, providing he proves his fitness, before the forward joins up with Africa Cup of Nations contenders Senegal.

City are still without Rodri as he continues a complicated comeback from last season’s serious knee injury, while Josko Gvardiol will partner Ruben Dias in the heart of their defence in the absence of John Stones.

This fixture is of course a repeat of last season’s FA Cup final, when Eberechi Eze’s winning goal and Dean Henderson’s penalty save won Palace the first major trophy in their history.

Guardiola and City felt they were unfortunate that day at Wembley, missing numerous chances either side of Henderson staying on the pitch for what looked like a handball outside his penalty area.

City’s manager missed Friday’s press conference owing to a personal matter, with Kolo Touré standing in for him.

The former City defender said: “The manager’s energy every day is incredible.

”I’m so surprised, with all the years that he’s done in the league. The passion he brings to every meeting, the training sessions – he’s enjoying himself every day and we are enjoying it as well.

”You can see in the games when we play. It doesn’t matter what happens, we have a big spirit in the team, we have a lot of energy, we are fighting for every single ball.”

Full team news on the way shortly