Bermudian striker Shaun Goater faces stiff competition as he attempts to earn a starting spot in boss Kevin Keegan's side when Manchester City kick off their English Premier Division campaign next month.

Although once again completing last season as top scorer when City won the First Division championship, Goater must now play second fiddle to new striker, Nicolas Anelka, who appears to be an automatic selection in the starting eleven.

According to Saturday's Manchester Evening News, City's ?12.5 million record signing, Anelka, is certain to start against Leeds United on the opening day of the season, while the role of playing the Frenchman's partner is up for grabs.

Keegan has ?20 million worth of talent in Goater, Paulo Wanchope, Darren Huckerby, Jon Macken and Matias Vicente Vuoso at his disposal and he's not yet sure who he's going to give the nod.

Wanchope, fresh from a productive World Cup campaign with Costa Rica, would appear the favourite to claim a place alongside the rapid Frenchman but Keegan is adamant such talk is merely conjecture.

"I am committed to playing a certain type of football and I have six great forwards to go from," he declared. "I do not know who will play with whom at the moment.

"When you have a player with Anelka's pace and power and you have paid that sort of money then almost certainly you are going to start with him, that's for sure. But people would just be guessing if they said that it would be him and Wanchope or him and Goater or him and Huckerby.

"Vuoso and Macken, who can hold it up, could also come into it and they are different types again. It is possible even to play 3-4-3 with the players we have got.

"So I have everything I want in that department. All the strikers offer me something different and that is great for the club.

"We have plenty of pace with Huckerby and Wanchope. Paulo can also do the unexpected and is decent in the air, as is Shaun Goater, who is an out-and-out goalscorer but also good in his own penalty area."

All the combinations are likely to get an airing in the pre-season matches unless the Blues receive a bid that they cannot turn down for one of the forwards.