Manchester City v Fulham: Preview (19/1/13)

Manchester City go into a reasonably easy fixture trailing Premier League leaders and rivals Manchester United by 7 points.
There had been recent speculation of Roberto Mancini being replaced in the Summer. But, with target Pep Guardiola officially set to join German powerhouses Bayern Munich in the summer, Mancini will be a very happy man. Guardiola was wanted by City owner Sheikh Mansour, as he had similar aspirations as the club. And with several ex-Barca staff being employed ay City, speculation was mounting.
However, I believe this news will bring out some confidence in both the players and Mancini himself.
I expect the City squad to lineup as follows;
4-1-2-1-2
Hart;
Zabaleta
Kompany
Nastasic
Clichy;
Barry;
Nasri
Milner;
Silva;
Tevez
Agüero
I could see Dzeko replacing a returning Aguero, but on the hole, a generally familiar City lineup. Slightly weakened, but still extremely capable of netting 4+ goals against a currently weak Fulham side at the Fortress that is the Etihad Stadium.
In terms of who will score these goals, my predicting for goalscorers is:
Milner, Aguero x2, Tevez; Berbatov
Another returning player is Nasri, who rejoins the squad after his controversial suspension received for an alleged headbutt during City's 4-3 victory over Norwich City. Also, Kompany's controversial sending off, received against Arsenal. being overturned is a massive boost, after all, he is the captain, a great leader and a rock at the back.
A potential return for midfielder Jack Rodwell is also on the cards, after manager Roberto Mancini revealed he is currently fit to play if required. Rodwell could start in place of Barry to regain some kind of match fitness.
Agüero returning from a short sideline with a hamstring injury, sustained during the 3-0 victory over Stoke, is also a major boost. The prolific Argentine has scored, four goals, in all of his three meetings with Fulham.
KEY MAN: Pablo Zabaleta - Arguably City's best player in recent weeks and possibly the best full back in the Premier League. The Argentine has built up some what of a reputation for getting forward, but also for tracking back and being a solid, hard-tackling defender.