His absence will be a big blow for the Blues as we head into the busy festive period, with Elano having established himself as the heartbeat of the new-look City line-up since his summer signing from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Geovanni replaced Elano against Reading last Saturday, setting up Stephen Ireland's last-gasp winner, and he is set to replace his fellow Brazilian in the starting line-up.
Gelson Fernandes is set to continue in midfield as Michael Johnson remains out, while Nedum Onuoha and Darius Vassell also remain injured.
However, Croatian defender Vedran Corluka should be fit despite going off in the first half against Reading, and striker Emile Mpenza has also shaken off a knock.