Huddersfield could face a Manchester City team able to welcome Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne back to their starting line-up on Sunday.
The FA Cup tie is likely to be taken seriously by Pep Guardiola, who rarely fields significantly weakened teams in this competition despite the holders hosting a side struggling in the Championship relegation zone.
De Bruyne is in line to make his first appearance since returning from a hamstring injury suffering on the opening day of the season, albeit potentially from the bench.
City welcomed Haaland and Doku back to training in midweek, leaving Guardiola to decide whether to risk them from the start or reintroduce them more gradually as substitutes.
Either way, City enjoy a week off before facing Newcastle in the Premier League and then at least a two-week break which will give them little reason to rest players against Huddersfield if they don’t have to.
Kalvin Phillips may still struggle to earn a spot in the XI amid talk of a move away in the January transfer window.
John Stones is expected to miss out with an ankle injury.