Pep Guardiola is confident his coronavirus-hit Manchester City squad will still be able to compete at Chelsea on Sunday.
City will be without five players for the Premier League trip to Stamford Bridge following positive Covid-19 tests.
Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus returned positive tests on Christmas Day along with two other members of the club's first-team staff.
Three more players then tested positive on Monday, prompting the postponement of the game at Everton.
Their identities are still to be revealed but their absences are undoubtedly a blow with Guardiola suggesting Academy players could make up the numbers.
Nevertheless, the City boss still expects a strong showing, saying: "We have a good enough squad to go there and try to compete against a tough opponent in Chelsea.
"We know how it is and we are going there to play our game, with enthusiasm and good will to try to get a result and do a good performance."
City are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games and had been hauling themselves back into the title race after a slow start to the campaign.
But with the Everton postponement meaning City now have two games to make up on most of their rivals, some heavy fixture congestion lies ahead.
Manchester City kits - the best and worst
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MANCHESTER CITY BEST: 5) 2009/10 home: A clean, simple and smart home design from Umbro. Classic sky blue with white round-neck collar for a season when the Abu Dhabi revolution at City stepped up a gear with the replacement of Mark Hughes with Roberto Mancini and saw Carlos Tevez in prolific goalscoring form. Getty -
4) 2014/15 away: The second season of Nike taking over design duties and they came up trumps for the reigning Premier League champions here. A definite modern feel as the dark blue top fades down in shades to a lighter tone, with sponsors Etihad Airways and the Nike swoosh in stand-out gold. Getty -
3) 2011/12 home: you can almost hear the TV commentator scream “Agueroooooo!” when this legend pops up. The kit striker Sergio Aguero was wearing when he scored the last-gasp winner that earned City their first title for 44 years - and denied rivals United their 20th. The blue and white striped socks seal the deal. Getty -
2) 2011/12 away: A memorable year for City that was clearly inspired by Umbro’s home and away kits. Red and black stripe has been a regular go-to but this straightforward AC Milan-vibe is comfortably the best. Famously worn by Edin Dzeko when he smashed four past Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Getty -
1) 1989-91 home: An absolute stunner from the early 90s - and a fitting start to the Premier League years. Niall Quinn, Keith Curle and Co might lack the glamour of City’s superstar names of later years, but they certainly looked the part in this. From the distinctive triangular pattern to the ‘brother’ sponsor’s logo - it is a thing of beauty. Let’s just ignore the away effort from the same period (see worst kits) for now. Shutterstock -
WORST: 5) 1997-99 home: there’s something deeply unnerving when City’s home kit moves away from their famous sky blue. City would persist with a darker shade of blue for a few seasons before eventually seeing sense. The first of two quickfire blunders from Kappa. Getty -
2) 1990-92 away: Umbro sadly undoing some of their good work with these next two tops. Spectacularly awful colour and a pattern that looks good on the home sky blue version, but strangely makes the away look worse. That City managed to secure successive fifth-place finishes sporting this maroon monstrosity, is testament to everyone concerned. Shutterstock -
3) 1996/97 away: A disastrous maroon and white concoction which was so awful that five managers, including caretakers, came and went in disgust within a single season. An upsetting end to Umbro’s City reign. Shutterstock -
2) 1998-99 away: They might have dragged themselves out of the third-tier via the play-offs this season, but it was no thanks to the away kit. A painful-on-the-eye luminous yellow and dark blue striped nightmare from Kappa. Getty -
1) 1999-2001 away kit: A high-quality atrocity from Le Coq Sportif, who would also persist with the sacrilegious darker blue home kit for three seasons. A shiny silver look that feels part aluminium foil, part glam rock and part birthday present wrapping paper. Just for good measure, the two stripes down the front are apparently a nod to the 1999 play-off final shocker that finished No 2 in our list. Getty
That may be a concern for Guardiola but he does not want to make an issue of it. "Since the beginning (of the season) we spoke about this, so no more comments," he said.
"We have nine games in 27 days and after maybe eight or nine in the second one (February), so don't think too much.
"We'll play every game with the players we have and compete as good as possible and do as best as we can. Now we don't think about what is not good for the players.
"They love to do this, we are going to accept it."
