Few expect Eriksson’s team to remain in quite such a lofty position and the Swede has been reluctant to offer any indication of the targets he will be setting his players for the remainder of the campaign.

However, he does accept his team have performed far better than anyone imagined. And he is not entirely dismissing the possibility of City playing in the major European competition next term.

“The Champions League will be very difficult but you can always dream,” he said.

“If you asked people in August whether we would be fourth in the table at this point, I am sure they would have laughed at us.

“So far, we have done very well and obviously, I am happy with our position.

“Maybe I am more confident of finishing in a European place than I was earlier in the season but the games we have coming up now are very important.

“And even after the big weekends right in front of us, it is very important that come to March and April, we are still fit, we can still run and we can still move the legs.”

Eriksson’s observations mean he will almost certain rotate the City squad throughout a Christmas programme which, after tomorrow’s clash with out-of-form Blackburn, sees Liverpool visit Eastlands on Sunday before a trip to the north to face Newcastle on January 2 and another one south where West Ham will provide the Blues’ opposition in the FA Cup third round.

England Under-21 midfielder Michael Johnson has already been ruled out of the Blackburn encounter with an abdominal strain, so Geovanni could replace Gelson Fernandes in central midfield while Stephen Ireland returns from a three-match ban.

Vedran Corluka and Javier Garrido are also primed to face a Blackburn side who have won their last five games against City but have secured just one victory in nine outings, culminating in Sunday’s home defeat by Chelsea.

Not that Eriksson is reading too much into the form book.

He has seen enough of Blackburn, and star forward Roque Santa Cruz, to know they will represent a major threat to his side’s impressive 100% home record.

Indeed, 11-goal Santa Cruz was one of the players Eriksson was eager to bring to City, only for Blackburn to snap the South American up for a bargain £3.5million from Bayern Munich.

“Santa Cruz was on my radar but I was just a bit too late,” said Eriksson.

“I saw him many times for Bayern Munich – and for Paraguay. It is no surprise to me how well he has done in the Premier League because he is a very good player.

“He did well against Chelsea and when you look at the game overall, Blackburn were very unlucky to lose, so we know how tough it is going to be for us tomorrow.”

Although Rolando Bianchi has not managed Santa Cruz’s recent incredible output, the Italian has scored in City’s last three league games, silencing talk of a January move back to his homeland.

And, with Emile Mpenza doubtful with a minor muscle injury, Bianchi will represent City’s major goal threat tomorrow.

“Rolando has a very strong character,” said Eriksson.

“He has always been very happy working incredibly hard.

“He is always one of the first onto the training ground and last to go back into the dressing room.

“Now he is scoring goals as well, which is good for his confidence.”