Manchester United host Manchester City on Saturday in what could be one of their most evenly matched Premier League encounters in years.
United have won eight games in a row and can equal their longest winning streak in all competitions since Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013.
Second-placed City, four points above United, lost to Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
“The improvement in [United’s] team is obvious,” City boss Pep Guardiola said.
United are signing Burnley striker Wotweghurst on loan but he will not be eligible to play as he will need to be registered by 12:00 GMT on Friday.
Anthony Martial is a doubt with a leg injury, so in-form Marcus Rashford, who has scored seven goals in his last six games, could play at centre-forward.
Guardiola says United are in the title race.
United have lost just once in 18 games since the 6-3 defeat by City in October and Guardiola insists Erik ten Hague’s side are not out of the title race.
“When I see the way United are playing, why not?” he said. Their game is good. “It’s good for us, the challenge is to prove ourselves again.”
Guardiola added: “I had the feeling that the strength and quality of Man United was always there.
“It’s just a question of being settled, being patient and supporting the manager unconditionally. United are playing now how they’ve played all their history.
“I said a few months ago that United are back. People say they’re not. They’re back. I knew it, I felt it.”
Ten Hague, whose side are nine points behind leaders Arsenal. says the hosts have to prove how far they have come since that humbling at City in October.
“We have to prove how far they have come on the pitch. There is only one truth and that is always on the pitch,” said the manager.
“It’s not going to happen overnight, there’s been a process in the last months where we progress, develop. We have to be brave, act with conviction and play our game.
“We took a lesson [from the 6-3 loss] and we’ve made a lot of progress since then. We just have to continue that process.”
Remembering Stones and Dalot
City will be without England defender John Stones, who has a fitness problem and also missed the shock midweek cup defeat by the Premier League’s bottom side.
Midfielder Elke Gundogan suggested he lacked appetite after the loss at St Mary’s.
“What happened didn’t surprise me,” Guardiola said. “We tried to avoid it and hope it won’t happen again, but it happened because we won four Premier Leagues in five years. are
“After two back-to-backs, it could happen. We weren’t ready to go there. I was worried it could happen and unfortunately it did. I don’t know if it will happen again, but I’m not worried.”
City striker Erling Holland has scored 21 goals in 16 Premier League appearances. He needs just two more goals to tie the Golden Boot for the past three seasons.
United will be without full-back Diego Dalot with a hamstring injury, while midfielder Donnie van de Beek is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
