Manchester City v West Brom preview: Pep Guardiola insists Aymeric Laporte is ready

Pep Guardiola has backed his new signing Aymeric Laporte to be ready to play ahead of Manchester City's game against West Brom at the Etihad.

Laporte signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with City after they activated his £57m release clause making him the club's record signing ahead of Kevin De Bruyne.

"He is fit, he has been playing the last period so I think he is ready. Of course, he has to adapt, the Premier League is special in many senses, but I think he is intelligent and he will read the situation," Guardiola said.

City have also been linked with a move for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred but Guardiola played down the chances of that deal being done before the deadline.

"I don't know. I don't think so but in football everything can happen. I am 95-99 per cent that nothing is going happen," he added.

Alan Pardew has also been busy this week, adding Daniel Sturridge to his squad on loan from Liverpool until the end of the season and he was full of praise for his new recruit.

"You would have to put him in the same category as Harry Kane," said Pardew. "Harry has had a great spell in terms of fitness and is at the top of his game. That's understandable that he is probably ahead of Daniel.

"But Daniel has the potential, particularly against teams I think where you need goals, where you need to break them down, he has some individual flair that not many players can match."

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Pardew was also adamant that both Jonny Evans and James McClean would stay, saying: "I think Jonny Evans will stay at this football club. We do have one player that could go out but it's not Jonny Evans or James McClean."

Team news

Manchester City winger Leroy Sane has been ruled out for up to six weeks - and will miss the Carabao Cup final - after suffering ankle ligament damage in Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round win over Cardiff.

The German winger joins striker Gabriel Jesus and left-backs Benjamin Mendy and Fabian Delph (all knee) on the sidelines.

West Brom are waiting on the fitness of a handful of players ahead of their trip to the Premier League leaders.

Evans and Hal Robson-Kanu have hamstring problems and will be assessed. Pardew also has other players nursing injuries following the FA Cup win at Liverpool on Saturday night but he refused to name them.

Sturridge could make his debut at the Etihad after joining from Liverpool on loan until the end of the season, although fellow new signing Ali Gabr in unlikely to be involved.

Opta stats

• Manchester City have won 15 of their last 16 Premier League encounters with West Brom (D1), including winning the last 12 in a row.
• Indeed, City's winning run of 12 games is their joint-longest streak against a team in their league history (level with Newcastle).
• If West Brom lose this fixture it will be their longest losing run against a team in their league history (also 12 vs Chelsea and Liverpool).
• Man City have won their last 10 home games in all competitions, their longest run since a run of 13 in January 2014.
• City have scored at least twice in each of their last 11 Premier League home games; it's their longest such run in the competition, and longest in the division since Liverpool's record of 14 in April 2014.
• However, Pep Guardiola's side have kept just four clean sheets at home in the Premier League this season; as many or fewer than four of the clubs in the bottom seven coming into this matchday (Huddersfield, West Brom, Brighton and Swansea).
• Manchester City have had two players (De Bruyne and Sane) record at least 10 assists for the first time in the same Premier League season. David Silva isn't far behind on eight, and only two teams have ever had three players reach double figures in the same campaign (Liverpool 1995-96 and Arsenal 2004-05).

Merson's prediction

West Brom have done really well recently. I know when Alan Pardew first came in their results didn't pick up straight away but their performances did. They just weren't getting much luck but now they are and the results have followed.

However, this is a bit of nightmare game for them. I can never back against Manchester City at home and expect them to wrap up a convincing win.

PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0

Betting

Manchester City are Sky Bet's shortest-priced favourites of the week at just 1/7 to see off 14/1 shots West Brom, while the draw is priced at 13/2.

Sergio Aguero is the 5/2 favourite in the first goalscorer betting, with Daniel Sturridge enhanced from 12/1 to 16/1 to break the deadlock in Sky Bet's Price Boosts.

Wednesday night's Premier League clashes make up the midweek Super 6 line-up, with the £1m still to be won.

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