Given gets armband for Wigan trip

Skipper Kolo Toure and in-form striker Craig Bellamy were both missing from the Manchester City side as Mark Hughes’ men looked to close the gap on league leaders Manchester United to three points.

The pair failed to overcome heel and groin problems respectively, so their places went to Micah Richards and Martin Petrov, with goalkeeper Shay Given taking over the captain’s armband for the visit to Wigan.

The Latics have never lost a top-flight game on home soil against City and were unchanged, even though they were disappointing in defeat to Hull a fortnight ago.