Manchester City vs Southampton team news: Fabian Delph and Willy Caballero start as Saints make four changes

Raheem Sterling and Aleksandar Kolorov also come in as City look to prevent a hat-trick of consectuive defeats

Willy Caballero starts for Manchester City for the first time since September (Getty Images)

Willy Caballero starts in goal in the absence of Joe Hart as Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini selects the Argentinean for the first time in the Premier League since the 4-1 loss to Tottenham in September.

Hart is ruled out with a short-term hamstring injury, and with City losing their last two matches against Juventus and Liverpool, the pressure is on to stay on top of the title race with Leicester and Manchester United now ahead in the league table.

Pellegrini makes three other changes, with Aleksandar Kolorov replacing Gael Clichy at left-back, Raheem Sterling coming in for Jesus Navas and Fabian Delph replacing Fernando in the middle.

Goalkeeper Richard Wright is named on the bench, having not played a game in four years and last featuring in the Premier League nine years ago for Everton in 2006.

Southampton will hope to recover from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat by Stoke, and manager Ronald Koeman makes four changes to his side, with one being forced through Graziano Pelle’s suspension after picking up five yellow cards this season.

Maya Yoshida comes in for Cedric Soarez at right-back, with Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse preferred to Jordy Clasie and Dusan Tadic in midfield. In Pelle’s absence, Sanio Mane comes in to the starting line-up.

Teams

Manchester City: Caballero, Sagna, Demichelis, Otamendi, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Delph, Toure, De Bruyne, Sterling, Aguero

Subs: Wright, Clichy, Fernando, Silva, Navas, Iheanacho, Bony

Southampton: Stekelenburg; Yoshida, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand; Wanyama, Romeu; Mane, S Davis, Ward-Prowse; Long.

Subs: K. Davis, Clasie, Tadic, Martina, Juanmi, Ramorez, Caulker.