Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged striker Gabriel Jesus to have the belief he can be a derby day hero on Saturday.

With Sergio Aguero still absent due to a thigh injury, much of City's goalscoring burden in their clash with Manchester United will fall upon the shoulders of the Brazil international.

Jesus ended a 10-game goal drought for club and country with a brace in City's 4-1 win over Burnley on Tuesday, which has boosted his confidence.

The 22-year-old has failed to find the net in his four appearances in the Manchester derby – three of which have come from the bench - but Guardiola has confidence in the forward's ability.

"He has to be himself – we need his goals. That’s why we won the last game,” the City boss said at his news conference ahead of the clash with United.

“We need him and his goals, if he puts this idea in his head he can do it every game.

"Confidence has to be there in the heads, not because of good or bad performances, winning or losing games. Not just him, all the players."

Guardiola claimed the mental strength of his squad is still strong even though they find themselves 11 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

"There are some things that are undeniable, the mentality and how strong they are," he said.

"We have to learn, with all athletes, he would not be in the high level [he is] and playing if he didn't have quality.

"They can control it, they don't need the manager to speak to them, they have to believe they are good enough and show how good they are.

"All the time it's there, if they score goals the confidence rises, if a keeper doesn't concede goals the confidence rises."

City are 11 points of ahead of sixth-placed United, who beat former manager Jose Mourinho's Tottenham side at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Guardiola believes counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is doing a "good job" at United and will have them side fired up for the Etihad Stadium showdown.

"The history is huge and the quality of players they have has always been there and we have to try to beat them," he added.

"They are incredibly fast up front and at set pieces with Harry Maguire, they have the physicality and aggression. I have a good impression.

"It's an important game against a good rival with a big history. We play against a good team to try to follow the performance from the last game.

"It's Man United, all respect to what they have done for English, European and world football."