Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender

This is the last game before the international break, so there is no reason for Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola not to play a really strong team, especially because he can build on the back of their past two wins - against West Brom in the league and Barcelona in Europe.

Middlesbrough got a really good and much-needed victory over Bournemouth last week.

They also drew 0-0 at Arsenal in their last away game, but I think you get a different kind of examination at Etihad Stadium and I do not see them getting anything this weekend.

Lawro's prediction: 3-0

Boro won the last meeting between the teams too. 

They beat City 2-0 in the FA Cup fourth round in January 2015. 

Image source, Getty Images

Actually... City have won only four of their 20 Premier League matches against Boro (D5, L11).

But City have just beaten Barcelona! Surely it can't happen again...

You might recall a certain match between these two from back in 2008. 

Middlesbrough beat City 8-1 at home at the end of the 2007-08 season. 8-1! 

Afonso Alves scored a hat-trick. Honestly, he did.

The next year Boro were relegated. Within six years, City were Premier League champions.

Image source, Getty Images

Boro have won more Premier League games against City than they have against any other side. Eleven times.   

Manchester City

What now for Yaya Toure then? Is it all too little too late? 

Pep Guardiola said he would not pick the Ivorian until his agent Dimitri Seluk apologises for criticising the decision to leave him out of the Champions League squad but on Friday, Toure apologised to the club for "misunderstandings from the past".

He has only played one game this season - a Champions League qualifier in August - and has not played a single Premier League minute.

The midfielder's contract runs out in 2017 and he is free to sign pre-contract terms with other clubs from January.

Image source, Getty Images

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at the Etihad Stadium

If the absence of Yaya Toure from Manchester City's squad to face Middlesbrough this afternoon was entirely predictable, despite the Ivorian's apology to manager Pep Guardiola on Friday morning, Raheem Sterling's omission was less so.

Sterling, it seems, has been rested for today's game.

It will be interesting to see if that affects whether Gareth Southgate picks him in the England squad for the forthcoming games against Scotland and Spain, which will be announced on Sunday evening.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola makes three changes to the side that beat Barcelona 3-1 at home in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

Claudio Bravo was suspended but returns to take Willy Caballero's place in goal, Nicolas Otamendi is replaced by Gael Clichy in defence, and there is no Raheem Sterling in the City squad. Is that an injury? Jesus Navas comes in instead. 

Yaya Toure may have apologised, but there's still no place for the Ivorian in City's squad. 

City XI: Bravo, Zabaleta, Stones, Kolarov, Clichy, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Silva, De Bruyne, Navas, Aguero

Subs: Caballero, Kompany, Maffeo, Garcia, Nolito, Iheanacho. Sane

Image source, .

There's just one change from the Middlesbrough side that picked up their first home win of the season with victory over Bournemouth last weekend. 

Gaston Ramirez - scorer of a marvellous solo goal - is suspended replaced by midfielder Marten de Roon. 

Boro XI: Valdes, Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Friend, Traore, De Roon, Clayton, Forshaw, Downing, Negredo 

Subs: Da Silva, Bernardo, Leadbitter, Fischer, Guzan, Stuani, Nugent

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Afternoon all. 

So then: 

• Will Manchester City follow up victory over Barcelona and extend their Premier League lead? 
• Ilkay Gundogan - with four goals in two - will he keep pulling the strings?
• Or will Boro carry on their own good form (0-0 draw at Arsenal, 2-0 home win v Bournemouth)?
• They've got history of beating City, have the Teessiders...

Image source, GEt

Here's a few sub-plots for you. 

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Aitor Karanka v Pep Guardiola. Former Real Madrid centre-back and assistant manager v ex-Barcelona midfielder and manager. 

"Once you’ve been part of that divide, it stays there," Karanka says., external

Image source, Getty Images

Boro striker Alvaro Negredo returns to the scene of his 2013-14 Premier League title win with City. 

The Spaniard scored 23 goals in 49 games that season - but was then shipped out to Valencia.

Image source, Getty Images

City manager Guardiola is reunited with Boro keeper Victor Valdes, too. 

They won three league titles and the Champions League twice together at Barcelona between 2008 and 2012.