Nkunku back for Leipzig ahead of crunch Man City game

Bundesliga side RB Leipzig are gearing up to face juggernauts Manchester City in their home Champions League tie on Wednesday, and hoping the return of top goalscorer Christopher Nkunku will make all the difference.

Nkunku made a late cameo in Leipzig's 3-0 win at Wolfsburg on Saturday, setting up a goal for Konrad Laimer after a 98-day absence which saw him miss France's run to the World Cup final in Qatar.

His 21 minutes on the pitch Saturday has him in line for a return to the starting eleven, and manager Marco Rose said it shows how valuable the star forward is to Leipzig's hopes.

"You could see how good it was for us that Christopher is back," Rose said after the victory.

"With him on the pitch, we are more unpredictable as a team."

Nkunku suffered a knee injury in November in France's last training session before departing for Qatar, one of a series of injury blows for the team in the tournament run-up.

Despite missing five league matches, Nkunku still sits atop of Leipzig's goalscoring charts this season with 12 -- just one less than Bundesliga season leader Niclas Fuellkrug.

-  Crucial comeback - Nkunku's return is crucial to any hope Leipzig have of springing an unlikely upset on the Champions League favourites and making it past the last 16 for only the second time in club history.

In particular, Leipzig will need Nkunku's speed and creativity to break down a City defence which has conceded just two goals this Champions League season -- the equal lowest in the competition alongside Bayern Munich.

Earlier in February, Rose heaped praise on Nkunku's unique qualities as the 25-year-old worked towards a comeback, calling the Paris Saint-Germain junior "a difference maker."

"He simply has qualities that are not so common in