Manchester City and Manchester United will clash for the 166th time this Sunday, with United sporting the series advantage at 69-46-50.
Manchester City playmaker David Silva could return for the Manchester derby after recovering from a thigh injury.
Micah Richards has overcome a hamstring problem but Gael Clichy is not expected to feature following a similar injury.
Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck remains doubtful with a knee injury, and Phil Jones (ankle) and Rafael (hamstring) are still sidelined.
Shinji Kagawa will hope to retain his place, though Ashley Young and Nani are both in contention.
Both teams are fixed at 2-1-1 this season, placing them in a tie for seventh place on the Premier League table. A win would do wonders for each squad's title chances while also claiming bragging rights for all their supporters.
Despite the magnitude of the match, Wayne Rooney tried to place the marquee game into perspective, calling Liverpool their biggest rival and reminding everyone that no Week 5 contest will decipher the championship. From The Telegrpah's Mark Ogden:
Both teams may have made an unspectacular start in the Premier League, but their performances and goals scored in the Champions League on Tuesday will ensure that they come into the derby full of attacking confidence.
City could have scored a bucket-load at Plzen, with the pick of the three they did get coming from Yaya Toure. Although still nominally playing in a defensive midfield role, the giant Ivorian is again playing with a freedom that we perhaps didn't see as much last season.
He's certainly knocking the ball around nicely, with his 347 successful passes comfortably the highest number in the Premier League so far, and 65 more than United's best passer Michael Carrick.
"It's a massive game between two title contenders," Rooney said. "It's not going to define the season, but it's a big game, a local derby."
Nevertheless, it's the biggest bout on this weekend's slate, so let's look at which players could swing this pivotal contest between geometric foes.
When: Sunday, Sept. 22 at 11:00 a.m. ET/4:00 p.m. BST
Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
