Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard says teammate Diego Costa is a "friendly guy" when not on the pitch despite the stiker's growing reputation for violent play.
Costa was banned for three matches for violent conduct by the Football Association after an independent regulatory commission on Friday ruled he deliberately stamped on the ankle of Liverpool's Emre Can in Tuesday night's Capital One Cup semi-final second leg.
Costa and Chelsea have no right to appeal, with the immediate ban meaning the indomitable striker is out of matches against City, Aston Villa and Everton.
And Hazard outlined just what Chelsea would miss, telling the club's website: "He's one of the top strikers in the world. He's a proper No. 9.
"He's a really friendly guy off the pitch. On it he's a good professional and he gives everything for the team.
"He's an unbelievable striker because he can score at any time.''
Hazard, who Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes is repeatedly sinned against, could shoulder the goal scoring burden in Costa's absence, with Didier Drogba likely to be given the lone striker's role ahead of Loic Remy.
Drogba has scored six times this season but does not present the same challenging proposition for opposition defenders that he once did.
Hazard is comfortable with being bruised and battered, so long as it helps his team.
"If the defenders want to pressure me early on and make me feel heavy contact it's not a problem," the Belgium playmaker added. "If I can get a free-kick for my team and the opposition player gets a yellow card or a red card that is good.
"I also like it when the defender goes in hard and commits to a tackle because it gives me the chance to go round him."
Mourinho cancelled his usual Friday pre-match media conference after Costa's charge and his own 25,000 pound fine for stating last month that there was a "clear campaign" against Chelsea.
The City clash completes a tumultuous eight days at Stamford Bridge, which saw Chelsea dumped out of the FA Cup by League One Bradford, who inflicted the Blues' first home loss of the season.
They responded by advancing to Wembley in the Capital One Cup at Liverpool's expense.
Victory for Chelsea, who enter the weekend with a five-point lead over City, would give them an eight-point advantage with 15 games to go.
Lose and momentum would swing to the defending champions, who have lost their last two matches to Arsenal and Middlesbrough, for whom on-loan Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford scored.
There is the additional sideshow of Frank Lampard, Chelsea's record goalscorer, returning to the ground where he spent 13 years in a City shirt.
Lampard's father said his son would not celebrate should he score on Saturday.
Information from Press Association was used in this report.
