Beaten FA Cup finalists Manchester City are back in Premier League action on Tuesday evening against already-relegated Reading without manager Roberto Mancini.

The former Premier League champions will be under the leadership of Brian Kidd for the remaining two games of the campaign following the club's decision to sack the Italian a year to the day that he guided them to title glory.

The side went down 1-0 to Wigan Athletic in one of the biggest shocks in recent memory and now they must concentrate on finishing second in the league.

City are currently three points clear of Chelsea but the Blues have a better goal difference so still have an outside chance of snatching second place on the final day.

A host of changes are expected to be made to the side that lost out to Wigan and could return to the starting XI that saw off West Bromwich Albion last time out in the league.

Reading boss Nigel Adkins, meanwhile, has no fresh selection concerns so is likely to retain the side that beat Fulham 4-2 last Saturday.

In the reverse fixture between these two sides in December, City scraped past Reading at home thanks to Gareth Barry's 93rd-minute winner.

Recent form

Reading: WDLDLL

City: LWDWLW

Possible starting lineups

Reading: McCarthy; Gunter, Mariappa, Morrison, Kelly; Robson-Kanu, Karacan, Guthrie, McCleary; McAnuff; Pogrebnyak

City: Hart; Richards, Kolo Toure, Lescott, Kolarov; Garcia, Rodwell, Milner, Nasri; Tevez, Dzeko

Sports Mole says: 1-2

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