Claudio Ranieri’s outsiders are now starting to be regarded as genuine title contenders and their meeting with City is being eagerly anticipated, but Pellegrini points out it is not a decisive match.
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City suffered a blow to their title hopes as they were beaten 3-1 by Barclays Premier League league leaders Leicester on Saturday.
Manchester City next host another title rival in Tottenham, who inflicted a similarly humbling 4-1 defeat on them earlier in the season, while Leicester travel to Arsenal.
“I will advise him to stay at Barcelona for at least a few more years, but if he wants City and they want him, we know they have the power to make it happen”. I’m just not sure that the guilt and shame they feel about letting their manager down is enough to win them any silverware.
He added: “I don’t want to think about if we win”.
City had wanted the fifth-round match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge played on the Saturday as this would have given each club four days either side of the tie, regarding their respective Champions League matches.
“We already know Neymar’s situation at Barca is very good, but there are always better [offers]”.
“We enjoy it and the fans must continue to dream”.
He said: “If they continue the way they are playing they are favourites”.
“But I will be focusing on the team until my final day here, giving my best to the very last minute”.
“We’re six points behind, obviously it was a crucial game to try to get three points, but there’s still a long way to go. First and foremost, if we have to play that game on that Sunday, we will not play with our (full-strength) team, we will play with a young team”, Pellegrini told reporters before the decision was made on Friday. “I don’t think it is fair to try to have excuses for other things”.
The Chilean said: “We can win this game or lose this game and it will not finish the Premier League here. We will see, but I think it will be hard for him to recover soon”.
“We need to deal with it”, said Zabaleta. Now we have 39 points more to play for.
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Replays suggested that the corner for Leicester’s third goal might have been awarded as a goal-kick, while Huth appeared to foul Martin Demichelis as he converted.
