Manuel Pellegrini is considering using the versatile James Milner as an emergency centre-forward during Manchester City's striker crisis.
The Chilean will experiment with Milner, David Silva and Samir Nasri up front in training this week after his three senior strikers were all injured.
Sergio Aguero is out for at least four weeks after hurting his knee against Everton while Stevan Jovetic suffered a hamstring problem versus Roma and Edin Dzeko injured his calf in the warm-up before Saturday's win at Leicester.
City might be without all three until 2015 and Pellegrini is wondering which of the three midfielders to thrust into attack.
Pellegrini told national newspapers: "We will work this week with the players to see who can play best in that position. It can be Silva, it can be Nasri, it can be Milner.
"We must decide which is the best one. I always said James is a very useful player for the squad. At some moments he wants to play more but wherever he plays he is important. That is why we've kept him here."
Silva has been used as a false nine by Spain while both he and Nasri have played as a No. 10 for City this season.
Milner has operated all the way across the midfield and finished September's draw against Chelsea as a left-back, but could now find himself the furthest man forward.
When Dzeko pulled out of the Leicester game, 18-year-old Spaniard Jose Angel Pozo was granted his first Premier League start but Pellegrini prefers not to use the teenager.
"Pozo is not a striker," he explained. "We must try to find another way to play because our strikers will be out for at least one month more."
City had four strikers until the final day of the transfer window, when Alvaro Negredo joined Valencia on a loan that will lead to a permanent deal.
They also loaned Sweden international striker John Guidetti to Celtic, for whom he has scored 11 goals.