The 36-year-old has three goals in his last two matches after a double against Sheffield Wednesday but will not be made to play three games in a week.

Frank Lampard is unlikely to start when Manchester City take on Hull City despite his prolific recent scoring form, boss Manuel Pellegrini has revealed.

Lampard scored twice in City's 7-0 rout of Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup, taking his tally to three in the last two matches after his equaliser against former club Chelsea last weekend.

But Pellegrini is keen to use his squad to protect the 36-year-old and manage his energy levels to avoid the risk of burnout or injury.

"He is now 36 years old and maybe he cannot play three games in a row," the Chilean told reporters. "But he continues knowing how to play this sport and Frank is a top player in that sense."

The resounding victory against Wednesday was City's first win in five games, and Pellegrini will have Pablo Zabaleta back in contention after serving a one-match suspension for his sending off against Chelsea in midweek.

Fernando (groin) and Stevan Jovetic (hamstring) remain doubts while David Meyler is the hosts' sole injury concern - the Irishman is struggling with a back issue.

Hull, meanwhile, have conceded goals at an alarming rate in the early weeks of the 2014-15 season, shipping nine in their previous four games in all competitions.

More worrying for Bruce is their recent habit of giving away leads, with points surrendered in a pair of 2-2 draws with West Ham and Newcastle United in the league.

And their woes continued in Wednesday's Capital One Cup defeat at West Brom, as the Tigers threw away a 2-1 advantage with three minutes left to lose 3-2 and fall at the first hurdle of the competition.

With the reigning champions visiting the KC Stadium on Saturday, Bruce admits their inability to keep goals out is becoming an issue, having seen his side register the best defensive record of the bottom seven clubs in last season's Premier League.

"It's a huge concern for me because it's not like us," he said. "If you've seen us for the last two years, the ability to see a game through was there for everyone to see.

"Certainly in the Championship, once we got in front we never looked like surrendering it.

"It's a bit baffling at the minute because it's not going for us. We have to work harder, get through it and hope it's just a bit of bad luck."

Match Preview

Hull CityGames played: 5
W1 D3 L1
English Barclays Premier League
Hull City v. Manchester City
27 Sep 19:00 - The KC Stadium
Manchester CityGames played: 5
W2 D2 L1

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