Gareth Barry and Micah Richards have both been ruled out of Manchester City's Community Shield encounter with Chelsea at Villa Park on Sunday.
Barry has failed to recover from the abdominal complaint that kept him out of Euro 2012, whilst Richards suffered an ankle injury as Great Britain bowed out of the Olympic tournament last weekend.
Euro 2012 finalists David Silva and Mario Balotelli are both expected to start on the bench, whilst Blues skipper Vincent Kompany should shrug off a calf injury.
City face Saints the following Sunday in their first defence of the Premier League crown.
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