Keegan keeps faith in youth, Flood looks set to start

Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan will offer his youth brigade a chance to shoot down Manchester United on enemy territory for the first time since 1974.

Keegan has already ruled Claudio Reyna (groin), Trevor Sinclair (knee), Joey Barton (knee), Sun Jihai (knee) and Ben Thatcher (ankle) out of Sunday’s Old Trafford showdown and Jon Macken is struggling to overcome a back problem.

It means 19-year-old Irish midfielder Willo Flood is almost certain to be handed a starting slot on the right, while Stephen Jordan, who like Flood made his first Premiership start against Norwich on Monday, is likely to be handed the left-back berth.

Provisional squad: James, Waterreus, Onuoha, Mills, Distin, Dunne, Bosvelt, Flood, D’Lareya, S Wright-Phillips, Sibierski, McManaman, Anelka, Macken, Fowler, Jordan, B Wright-Phillips.