Team News: Erling Braut Haaland returns to Manchester City XI for Liverpool clash

Erling Braut Haaland has returned to Manchester City's starting lineup for this afternoon's Premier League showdown against Liverpool at Anfield.

The 22-year-old, who has scored a remarkable 20 goals in just 13 appearances so far this season, watched on from the substitutes' bench as the Citizens played out a goalless draw with Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

However, Pep Guardiola has recalled the Norwegian goal machine for their trip to Merseyside, with Phil Foden, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva also returning to the first XI.

Dias replaces Aymeric Laporte at centre-back and will join Joao Cancelo, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake in the back four, protecting Ederson between the sticks.

Captaining the Citizens, Gundogan retains his place in centre-midfield alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, who all started against Copenhagen.

Bernardo and Foden will link up with Haaland in the front three, with Jack Grealish, Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez all dropping to the substitutes' bench.

As for Liverpool, former Man City man James Milner starts at right-back, with Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench, while Mohamed Salah is recalled for Jurgen Klopp's first XI after scoring a six-minute hat-trick in the 7-1 Champions League win over Rangers in midweek.

Liverpool starting lineup: Alisson; Milner, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Thiago, Fabinho, Elloitt; Salah, Firmino, Jota

Subs: Kelleher, Henderson, Jones, Tsimikas, Nunez, Carvalho, Bajcetic, Phillips, Alexander-Arnold

Manchester City starting lineup: Ederson; Cancelo, Akanji, Dias, Ake; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Bernardo, Haaland, Foden

Subs: Ortega, Laporte, Gomez, Lewis, Wilson-Esbrand, Grealish, Mahrez, Alvarez, Palmer