MANCHESTER City will be without Algerian wizard Riyad Mahrez today but Ralph Hasenhuttl expects to face Pep Guardiola’s strongest side with no more matches for two weeks.

Following this weekend’s matchday, the Premier League takes a short break until Tuesday, February 8.

Although it will be welcomed rest for some, many teams already have a fixture schedule that is backed up due to postponed matches that have been or are yet to be rearranged.

City have a full squad with the exception of Mahrez, who has been knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations in a shock defeat this week, who is still unavailable, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is still coming back to fitness after testing positive for COVID.

Defender Nathan Ake has been declared fit to make a return and Guardiola has developed a big reputation for rotation, in order to keep all of the world-class talent at his disposal happy.

However, Hasenhuttl admits he expects City to “come with what they have,” with no midweek fixture to rotate for.

“They would (rest players) if they have an important game during the week,” the Austrian said.

“But there is no game so I think they need games for staying in the rhythm. I think they will come with what they have.”

He continued: “Yes, they can definitely balance the impact for the players. I think now their big target will be the Champions League because it's the one title they haven't won so far.

“They will concentrate on this for sure because it is so special. But the Premier League is still a league where you cannot let it run, or on a bicycle stop twisting, because otherwise you look over your shoulder and suddenly they are (catching up with you).

“I'm sure Pep knows what to do. I don't need to tell him. He will find the right mixture of let them play or rest in the right moment.”

Hasenhuttl also then made the admission: “Even if they make a lot of changes the quality doesn't drop massively.”