Manchester City playmaker David Silva is back in contention for Saturdays Barclays Premier League clash with Stoke after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. Boss Manuel Pellegrini may opt to give the Spaniard some playing time ahead of the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.Citys focus will be on Real in midweek, but they still have Manchester United breathing down their necks for a place in the top four. Stoke, meanwhile, have shipped eight goals in their last two games against Liverpool and Tottenham, and boss Mark Hughes will be hoping to rally his side to halt their recent decline. Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has seen his side concede eight goals in their last two games Team newsFull-backs Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna are also available again after back problems, meaning City virtually have a fully-fit squad as Tuesdays Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid draws closer.Midfielder Samir Nasri - who is not registered to play in Europe - is the only notable absentee with a muscle problem.Stoke winger Xherdan Shaqiri will sit out Saturdays Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium due to a hamstring injury.Shaqiri sustained the injury during Mondays 4-0 home loss to Tottenham and had to be substituted at half-time.Veteran goalkeeper Shay Given came into the team for that game and is set to keep his place this weekend, while defender Erik Pieters will miss out again as he completes a two-match suspension. Stokes Xherdan Shaqiri will miss the trip Opta statsStoke City won this fixture last season after having lost their previous six Barclays Premier League trips to the Etihad without scoring a goal.Sergio Aguero has scored five goals in five Premier League appearances against Stoke City.Aguero has scored 14 goals in his last 13 Premier League matches for Manchester City and netted his 100th in the competition in their midweek 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.Wilfried Bony has scored three goals in four Premier League games against the Potters. Manchester Citys Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini Former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has now managed exactly twice as many Premier League games for Stoke (110) than he did for the Citizens (55).Mark Hughes was never on the losing side with Blackburn Rovers before joining Man City as coach (W4 D4). His record with Stoke is W2 L2 D1.Manchester City have lost five of their 17 Premier League home games this season, including three of the last five. They lost only five in the previous 86 matches at the Etihad.Pellegrinis side have kept just three clean sheets in their last 15 Premier League home matches.Stoke have gone eight away Premier League games without a clean sheet on the road.Former Manchester City goalkeeper Given has conceded 10 goals in his last two Premier League appearances, including four on his Stoke debut in the competition last Monday v Tottenham. Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero Mersons predictionsThe problem with Man City is that you dont know which team is going to turn up. Will it be the one that won 3-0 at Chelsea or will it be the team that came off the pitch lucky to have earned a 1-1 draw with Newcastle? Stoke are on holiday and you cannot play football with flip-flops on!Theyve done their hard work, though, theyre safe and you can understand that, particularly when a few players will be at the Euros. I suspect Sergio Aguero will be rested as City will have one eye on the Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, but I still expect them to win.Paul predicts: 2-0 (Sky Bet odds 5/1)BettingManchester City are 1/3 with Sky Bet to claim maximum points in their pursuit of a top-four place against Stoke at the Etihad with the draw trading at 4/1. City remain 2/9 in the betting to finish in the Champions League places, while Stoke (17/2) will be desperate to make amends for their MNF hammering at the hands of Spurs and complete a league double over the Citizens.The last five meetings at the Etihad have seen City win to nil on four occasions which is trading as an 11/10 chance this time. Sergio Aguero is 5/2 to net the opener with Mame Biram Diouf deemed the most likely first scorer for the Potters at 10/1.See all the match odds, Price Boosts and tips from our Sky Sports pundit here. Custom Soccer Jerseys .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Custom Basketball Jerseys . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. http://www.customjerseysnearme.com/custom-college-jerseys-246h.html . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Discount Custom Jerseys . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. Custom Uniforms Outlet . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. No. 23 Rhode Island extended its strong start Saturday night -- and didnt even do it on the basketball court.Dan Hurleys players, who won their only game last week -- over Belmont -- and should remain ranked when the new poll comes out Monday, served dinner and prepared beds at the Providence Rescue Mission, according to a post on the teams Twitter account.It was another quality effort by a team off to a 5-1 start, the only loss to then-No. 1 Duke.Now, its back to work -- and this will be a test for the Rams.Rhode Island visits Valparaiso (6-1) on Tuesday and then has its always tough local rivalry game against Providence at the Dunkin Donuts Center -- the Friars home floor -- Saturday.Hassan Martin scored 34 points and Jarvis Garrett, over his neck injury suffered against Cincinnati in the semifinal of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off, added 23 in the win over Belmont, the preseason favorite in the Ohio Valley Conference.Once I got myself going I just didnt stop, Martin said after going 14-for-20 from the floor and adding five rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals. Thats why I had that type of game.Martin will be needed against Valparaiso, which beat Ball State 79-73 at home Sunday and now hosts a ranked team for the first time in six years.The Crusaders came off the road and ran up 17 steals while forcing 23 turnovers andd overcoming a slow start to win against Ball State.ddddddddddddWe talked about a nine-day road trip and the challenges that presents, Valparaiso coach Matt Lottich said after Sundays game. Fatigue, just the normal human tendency maybe after a couple big wins to maybe let up a little bit. I thought our energy lacked a little bit (in the first half), but we were playing hard.Alec Peters scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to key Sundays win and continue his torrid start. Through seven games, he is averaging 25.1 points and 9.1 rebounds while Shane Hammink is at 16.1 and 5.6 per game.The Rams have four starters scoring in double figures, led by Martin at 16.5 points per game and E.C. Matthews at 15.5. Jared Terrell is averaging 14.3 points and Kuran Iverson 11.0 points and 6.2 rebounds. Martin leads with 7.0 rebounds while Garrett has a team-high 27 assists and 12 turnovers.Rhode Island ended a stretch of five games in 10 days with the loss to Duke, which followed a win over then-No. 24 Cincinnati the previous night.The win over Belmont, which was missing its best player, Evan Bradds, featured the Rams with a 30- and 20-point scorer in the same game for the first time in almost two years. ' ' '