After successive defeats, City boss Pellegrini insists Saturday’s clash with Southampton is his priority, not fuelling speculation the club are preparing to make an audacious £800,000-per-week offer for the Barcelona superstar.
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Joe Hart had to be substituted during the 1-0 defeat at Juventus after damaging his hamstring while making a fine save from Mario Mandzukic.
Speaking at a pre-match news conference, manager Manuel Pellegrini confirmed that he expects Hart to be out for around 10 days, which would also rule the 28-year-old out of next Tuesday’s League Cup quarter-final against Hull City and the subsequent Premier League trip to Stoke City.
Willy Caballero says he is determined to restore his reputation at Manchester City by proving he is ready to step in for goalkeeper Joe Hart.
The English goalkeeper will be out for around 10 days, which means Willy Caballero will start in goal, but Pellegrini has no concerns about placing his trust in the Argentine.
“I will answer exactly the same”, said Pellegrini.
Bony has missed City’s last two games with the hamstring injury he suffered during the 0-0 draw at Aston Villa while fellow forward and Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who is ineligible in Europe, is available again, but midfielder Samir Nasri remains out.
City are unbeaten in their last four games against the Saints however, winning the last three and scoring nine goals in the process. I hope both of them can recover their great performance [of earlier this season]. “We have lost Joe when he was in very good form but happens in football and I never complain about players who are injured”.
Captain Vincent Kompany remains sidelined by a calf problem while Eliaquim Mangala will be out for the next two games and Pablo Zabaleta is unlikely to play in the next three because of his third knee injury of the season. Wilfred Caballero will start in Hart’s absence, with Richard Wright the backup. You see the truth in a real game.
“But if you made overall over the season I think we are having a very good season”.
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Pellegrini said: “In Premier League you never know which team will win against the other”. He is a goalkeeper of the very highest level, and he is playing very, very well. We lost Joe in a very good moment but it is what happens.
