Claudio Reyna (broken ankle) and Danny Mills (broken shin) are injured, while David Sommeil and Ben Thatcher are suspended, so Stuart Pearce might have to throw the left-sided midfielder straight into the action.
Sun Jihai is expected to drop back into defence and Pearce seems unlikely to give Robbie Fowler his first league start of the season.
Released Blackburn striker Matt Jansen failed to turn up for training with City yesterday as has signed for Bolton until the end of the season.