Marquee matchup: A Manchester derby with serious implications

Judging from the soundbites coming from Manchester musicians in recent years, residing among the old cotton mills makes for a rather dreary existence.

Shinies' grossly overlooked 2015 debut itches for scenery beyond the "tower block stained skylines," while the questionably named 1980s revival band Menage A Trois pine for South America, Australia, and other desirable destinations away from grey Manchester.

You could argue that the fates of the town's teams - City and United - are in a similar state of flux and disenchantment. The city has in fact been awoken in business terms partly thanks to the moving in of sections of the BBC, socially courtesy of areas like the Northern Quarter, and even football-wise after the sport's national museum was plucked from Preston in 2012 - but the blue and red halves are underachieving.

Thursday's host City, reeling after falling to Arsenal in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final, is just left to vie for a place in the Premier League's top quartet. Anything less than fourth would be disastrous in what's intended to be an era which vaults the club into the world's elite. United, meanwhile, has been touring frozen pitches in the Europa League and commonly drawing matches in the domestic standings. The post-Sir Alex Ferguson hangover loiters.

Both loafing clubs desperately need to finish this season on a high and befit the footballing hub of Manchester. The rare midweek derby is finely poised.

Injuries and suspensions

David Silva is a serious doubt after being bundled over in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final loss, while John Stones and Bacary Sagna face late fitness tests. Gabriel Jesus may return to contention after fracturing his metatarsal in February.

Paul Pogba has joined Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, and Chris Smalling on the list of absentees. Ander Herrera is available after an ankle issue.

Projected lineups

Manchester City starting XI: Bravo; Navas, Stones, Otamendi, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Delph; Sterling, De Bruyne, Sane; Aguero

Manchester United starting XI: De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Darmian; Herrera, Carrick, Fellaini; Lingard, Rashford, Martial

What to watch

With Silva likely to sit out the tie, the chief retainer of possession and cog between the defensive and attacking lines is missing from Pep Guardiola's designs. Silva's likely deputy in a central role is the versatile Kevin De Bruyne, who began Sunday's defeat at Wembley on the right but appears destined to be centrally deployed for much of the rest of his career.

In that pocket, Guardiola should request that the Belgian is more mindful with his use of the ball. De Bruyne's ambitious eye for the killer, driven pass is sometimes detrimental to City's possession-based play - particularly in the latter half of this season - and he would be wise to replicate the tight twists, turns, and measured passing of his fellow No. 8.

That would place further attacking emphasis on the three ahead of him, which are likely to be Sergio Aguero, Leroy Sane, and Raheem Sterling, but it would also lean on additional overlapping movement from either Yaya Toure - if the veteran can overcome his arduous 120-minute shift against Arsenal - or Fabian Delph. The latter surprisingly stimulated Guardiola's side in his two starts at the beginning of April, but only because he's willing to strike from distance rather than strictly follow the patient, and at times vapid, probing from City.

Ibrahimovic's long-term injury is a huge blow for United. The cocksure and effervescent Swede has claimed 17 league goals - a 34 percent share - and provides a key focal point to Jose Mourinho's designs. However, on this occasion, his lack of availability could work out for his Portuguese handler.

If Wayne Rooney is dropped, an enterprising triumvirate of Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Martial could wreak havoc. Nicolas Otamendi isn't the most mobile and, even if John Stones is selected ahead of the assuring yet stiff figure of Vincent Kompany, City still looks sluggish at the back. For this reason, United should trouble the scoresheet at the Etihad Stadium.

Will United miss Pogba? The world's most expensive footballer has been derided for not setting England alight in the same vein he did for Juventus in Italy, but his drive and knack of purveying the unpredictable in the middle could be sorely missed. Marouane Fellaini isn't going to surge through a few challenges or crack a 35-yarder, so Mourinho may be encouraged to shun his sometimes defence-first approach away from home to field Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The need to protect an injury-hit backline could necessitate Fellaini's selection though, with a rare appearance for Timothy Fosu-Mensah a potential solution to a defence that is missing Jones, Smalling, and Rojo.

If there's a loser in Eastlands on Thursday, they will soon feel nibbles from sixth-placed Arsenal, which has sharpened its teeth since Arsene Wenger followed the trend with a back three.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)