Enzo Maresca has backed Elliot Anderson's claim that Manchester City are the "kings of Manchester", ahead of his first Manchester derby in charge of the club as they visit Old Trafford on Sunday. Anderson made the comment after his £116m summer move from Nottingham Forest, pointing to City's eight Premier League titles in the past 14 years against United's solitary crown, and Maresca said the remark reflected the dominance City showed while Anderson was growing up.

Maresca also brushed aside concerns about United's shorter rest before the derby, noting City had two extra days to prepare having beaten Porto on Tuesday compared with United's Thursday night win over Sabah, saying such scheduling quirks even out over time. Nico O'Reilly is set to return after a back problem, though Jérémy Doku remains unavailable with a calf injury sustained in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal. Maresca, who experienced the fixture as part of Pep Guardiola's staff, said all derbies are special but rated Olympiakos-Panathinaikos as fiercer still.