Richards to rest knee

Micah Richards will almost certainly sit out Manchester City’s Premier League match against Sunderland on Monday because of a bruised knee.

However, the England defender is likely to return the following Sunday at Portsmouth as the injury is not serious.

That would put him on course to feature in the vital Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia.

City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson said: “Richards will probably not play on Monday but hopefully the match afterwards.

“It is not a ligament problem and that is very good news of course. It is a relief for him, for us and for England.”

Winger Martin Petrov is available again after a toe injury while Eriksson remains undecided whether to name Andreas Isaksson or Joe Hart between the posts.

Provisional squad: Isaksson, Hart, Corluka, Onuoha, Sun, Dunne, Garrido, Logan, Ball, Ireland, Johnson, Dabo, Hamann, Geovanni, Fernandes, Petrov, Elano, Samaras, Bianchi, Mpenza, Vassell.