PREMIER LEAGUE: EASTLANDS, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010. KICK-OFF: 1945 GMTMANCHESTER CITY:
The continuing misery away from Eastlands has prevented Roberto Mancini's side elbowing their way into the Champions League places.
They have three key games against Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham coming up at the end of the month, but he will ensure this less testing meeting with with their neighbours is their priority.
City have not experienced many setbacks at Eastlands, where they have recorded eight wins and three draws from their 11 Premier League games so far. But Bolton should be buoyed by the fact that they have conceded more than a goal a game despite that decent run.
"I think that if we have all our players back then we can see an improvement," Mancini said. "It is difficult for me when I have three, four five players injured. It is a big problem.
"We want to change the mentality because we have chances to play well at home and we have chances to play well away. To reach our target we must start winning away. That is the most important thing."
Strategy: Despite enjoying victories over the likes of Stoke, Blackburn and Portsmouth so far in his reign, Mancini acknowledges that his team need a change of attitude against the Premier League's lesser lights. He said: "I have watched Bolton's last two or three games, they have played very well, very aggressive with a changed mentality. They have a good manager who has got them playing very well. It will be a difficult game. When you play the likes of Hull and Bolton they give 200 per cent.
"It is more difficult for us but we must work at the same level against these clubs as against the others because they fight for every ball every minute of the game. That is why we have to change our mentality. You have to remember that Bolton went to London and were 2-0 up against Arsenal. It is important because they are playing well, more aggressively and for them Manchester City is a derby."
Injury update: Craig Bellamy will miss the game with a knee problem and Joleon Lescott is unlikely to return from his own knee injury. Vincent Kompany's groin strain is likely to keep him out, Micah Richards is out with a calf problem and Roque Santa Cruz and Michael Johnson are also sidelined.
BOLTON WANDERERS:
The last thing Owen Coyle could afford was to lose his best player as Bolton Wanderers fight against relegation continues. Unfortunately for the Scot, that is exactly what has happened.
Gary Cahill, the 24-year-old central defender who had been tipped to make England's World Cup squad, suffered a swollen arm on Friday and had to be hospitalised to deal with what turned out to be a serious blood clot.
He is expected to make a full recovery but how Bolton could have done with him for this difficult task. Coyle said: "Gary suffered a pain in his arm and it became severely swollen. It turns out he had a blood clot in his arm, so he is going to be out for a number of months.
"It is a severe blow for the boy but our main concern is his welfare. We have to make sure Gary is fit and well. He will miss the next few months,, but it might be for the rest of the season. We will hear from the specialist later.
"The clot needed to be resolved and in doing that you need the medication. It follows you can't play. I don't think it is a sport-related injury, I think it is just one of those things that can happen to anyone at any given time."
Bolton drew 0-0 with Fulham in a woeful encounter at the weekend and Coyle is desperate for his side to start scoring their chances in order to beat the drop. They had 23 opportunites against Roy Hodgson's men yet failed to convert a single one and Coyle wants to see that end.
He said: "You have to take your percentages and I think that's something we can improve on. We have created lots of opportunities but I don't think we have converted as many as I would like.
"I have got a belief on how I want to play and, while that won't happen overnight, as time goes by there will be a gradual evolvement."
Strategy: Bolton have only won one of their last seven Premier League encounters and that statistic has to improve if they are to escape relegation. Against City on Tuesday evening, they are expected to lose so Coyle may as well send his team out with instructions to do nothing but attack. They may as well go down fighting.
Kevin Davies will be hoping to make the most of City's inconsistency at the back while Matty Taylor, Chung-Yong Lee and Mark Davies will have to all get forward to try and put pressure on Mancini's men. Bolton have kept two consecutive clean-sheets at home and if they could translate that form to their away fixtures then that would also be a huge help.
Injury Update: As well as Cahill, Bolton will also be missing Paul Robinson with blurred vision, Ivan Klasnic has an arm problem, Andy O'Brien hobbled off against Fulham with a leg injury, while Gavin McCann and Joey O'Brien are still months away from full fitness with respective thigh and knee injury and Sean Davis is also out for the season with a knee problem.
