Manchester City News 24/7Writer: Johnny Baguette 
Date:Tuesday January 4 2011
Time: 9:20PM
UK time is: 11:31:22
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Silva And Mario Absences Reduce Mancio Options
The relentlessly in form David Silva's absence will be keenly felt at The Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night. Mancio today confirmed Silva and Super Mario's knee knacks...
Arsene Wenger is no mug and will be determined to exploit the gaping hole in City's creativity left by the Spaniard who is out for two weeks following a crunching challenge against Blackpool.
Mario Balotelli meanwhile has encountered post surgery difficulties and the shrewd City boss has ruled him out also, pencilling him in for Sunday's FA Cup mission to Leicester. A startling aspect that the young and still learning Balotelli offers The Blues gaffer is an unpredictably powerful option.
The match at Arsenal is eagerly anticipated across the world, let alone England and it's a great shame that the spectacle won't be graced by two of the beautiful game's emerging young stars.
City fans have learnt a lot about Roberto Mancini and this correspondent for one is pleased to see that he takes no chances with his player's injuries and will not risk them when big games suggest that key players should start at all costs. We've seen at close quarters that the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Mark Hughes are both big advocates of cortisone injections. Wayne Rooney, Vincent Kompany and Robinho have all gangster tripped their ways through vital fixtures only to end up eventually sidelined for longer periods.
Back to the big one, and it will be fascinating to see how Mancini now approaches the task of taking on Arsenal.
Will he go for containment and counter attack? Will he exercise his to date carefully rotated squad's strength with attack in mind and aim to have a go at The Gunners?
Give us your punditry!
VMC citytv Video Link: Mancini Arsenal Presser
CITY AT ARSENAL ON VMC:
Head for the VMC Match Day Experience Forum for the build up and beyond to City's crunch revenge mission at The Emirates Stadium. Can The Blues go 8 games unbeaten under Mancio in Laandaarn Taarn?
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Your Comments
I think we will play more conservative than we have in recent weeks, even if it does get us branded "Boring City!" again when we have been anything but for quite a long time now. Really, it may be the only way to get at Arsenal in the absence of our one and only creative playmaker and our prodigious young forward. If we pack the midfield, play with grit and try to shut them off, we may have a chance of snatching a goal then with Tevez and Johnson both able to bag goals. It would be tactically naive to throw caution to the wind and "go for it" ala Blackpool when we don't have our creative talisman Silva, and one thing Mancini isn't is tactically naive.
StuMCFC
I think he will try to match their formation and get Tevez in on the counter. Silva will be badly missed though.
pedmachine
If one looks at Mancini's approach to all games against the very top clubs
the common factor is caution and a defensive approach which minimises
any chance of a loss and maximises the chance of a draw. FCB, note
the perceptive post of StuMCFC who has outlined the likely strategy
of the game today, something which you are unable to grasp.
Deltaforce
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