Jesus returns as Man City ring changes for Basel

MANCHESTER: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola could afford the luxury of making six changes for his side's Champions League last 16, second leg at home to Basel with the Premier League leaders holding a 4-0 first leg lead.

Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva were among those to drop out of the side that beat Chelsea 1-0 on Sunday to edge ever closer to the Premier League title.

Gabriel Jesus takes Aguero's place up front in his first start since injuring knee ligaments at Crystal Palace on New Years' Eve.

Yaya Toure makes only his fifth start of the season in midfield, alongside 17-year-old Phil Foden.

Basel boss Raphael Wicky makes just two changes from the side vanquished on home soil three weeks ago with the suspended Taulant Xhaka and Valentin Stocker dropping out.

Starting line-ups

Manchester City (4-3-3)

Claudio Bravo; Danilo, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Olexandr Zinchenko; Yaya Toure (capt), Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden; Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane

Coach: Pep Guardiola (ESP)

FC Basel (3-4-3)

Tomas Vaclik; Marek Sucky (capt), Fabian Frei, Leo Lacroix; Michael Lang, Luca Zuffi, Geoffroy Serey Die, Blas Riveros; Kevin Bua, Dmitri Oberlin, Mohamed Elyounoussi

Coach: Raphael Wicky (SUI)

Referee: Pavel Kralovec (CZE)