West Ham will give a fitness test to Valon Behrami before deciding whether the midfielder will play.
The Swiss star missed last week's defeat at Sunderland with a hip injury and is a doubt for the game while Mark Noble is out until the new year with a similar injury.
Long-term absentees Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh), Manuel da Costa (foot), Anthony Edgar, Peter Kurucz, and Jack Collison (all knee) also miss out.
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini will be forced to make changes.
Carlos Tevez, who has scored 10 goals this season, misses a return to his former club as he is suspended.
So too is Aleksandar Kolarov after he was sent off in the victory against Bolton but Kolo Toure could be available following a calf problem.
West Ham (from): Green, Gabbidon, Reid, Upson, Tomkins, Kovac, Behrami, Barrera, Jacobsen, Stanislas, Piquionne, Cole, Obinna, Stech, Spector, Boa Morte, Hines, McCarthy, Ben Haim, Faubert, Ilunga, Dyer, Parker.
Man City (from): Hart, Richards, Bridge, Lescott, Boyata, De Jong, Vieira, Barry, Johnson, K Toure, Y Toure, Silva, Jo, Adebayor, Balotelli, Given, Milner, Kompany, Boateng, Logan, Cunningham.
