Grant broke City hearts in last season's decider by scoring the only goal in Sydney's 1-0 triumph last August.

City have rebounded well from that disappointment however, surging to second place on the ladder after 14 matches and scoring a league-best 30 goals in the process.

Maclaren is leading the league-scoring charts with 13 goals while Nabbout has shaken off an early-season hamstring issue to join a dangerous attacking line-up that also includes English winger Craig Noone and Uruguayan Adrian Luna.

"City are playing some good football at the moment. They're scoring a lot of goals so for us as a team and us defenders it's going to be a good challenge to put ourselves up against the in-form team in the competition," Grant said.

"I think we've got the best defensive record in the league at the moment so it's going to be a good game to see who comes out on top."

City will head north without Olyroo Nathaniel Atkinson, who suffered a hamstring injury which will sideline him for at least two months in Monday's 3-2 win over Wellington.

Sydney have bounced back to form with back-to-back wins over Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory, lifting themselves just two points behind City on the ladder in fourth place.

Striker Trent Buhagiar has been included in the squad for the clash at Leichhardt Oval, having been sidelined since February with a knee injury.

In Saturday's other games, James Troisi is in for a hot reception at Coopers Stadium when Adelaide United welcome the ex-Socceroo midfielder's Western Sydney team to South Australia.

Troisi controversially quit the Reds to join the Wanderers in the off-season and he'll be eager to get one back on his old club after Adelaide claimed a 3-2 win the last time these teams met in February.

Last-placed Victory are also in action on Saturday, travelling to Newcastle to face the second-last Jets in a battle of the basement.

The Jets are on a six-game losing run, with Victory having lost five and drawn one of their past six matches.

Australian Associated Press