Manchester City will look to put their defensive worries behind them as they attempt to claim their first Premier League win at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium fortress this Saturday.
Defensive issues have affected City’s only previous away game this season when they were stunned 3-2 at promoted Cardiff, twice conceding from corners.
Their rearguard won’t be helped by the injury of Argentine Martin Demichelis, out for six weeks with a knee injury having been signed as cover for injured captain Vincent Kompany.
City left back Aleksandar Kolarov has reassured fans however that their defence will get better as the season gathers pace, with a fresh Champions League campaign beginning next week and the Manchester derby against champions United at the weekend.
“We are working a lot on the defence and I feel like we are improving every day,” he told City’s website.
City have drawn the previous four league games against Stoke City at the Britannia 1-1 but will be encouraged by their 1-0 FA Cup fourth round victory there last season, City’s first at Stoke since 1999 when both sides were in League One.
City also have doubts over the fitness of playmaker David Silva who picked up a thigh injury while on international duty with Spain. Manuel Pellegrini could be tempted to give a first start to fans’ player of the month Alvaro Negredo who has netted in all three games this season.
The visit to Stoke will see City face not only former boss Mark Hughes, it could also see them come up against former midfielder Stephen Ireland who is in line to make his debut. The Potters have injury doubts though over key players Charlie Adam and Kenwyne Jones.
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