Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is set to miss his side’s Champions League semi-final first leg with Real Madrid on Tuesday, manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed.
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I always prefer to think what is happening now.
The absence of Toure, a former Barcelona powerhous, will be a blow to City as they take on the 10-time European champions. “He hasn’t recovered from the muscle injury”, confirmed Pellegrini on Manchester City’s official website.
While Madrid are appearing in a record 27th semi-final in the competition, City are making their last-eight bow, eight years on from the club’s takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group. “I think they will be 100 per cent”. “I’ve played long enough to be okay about that”. It is actually an appeal to them that they have to be as loud as they have ever been.
“We’ve said many times, both of us, that we get on fine, we get on well”.
“For every single player in the team, if you are not hungry tomorrow, you will never be hungry in football”. “Otherwise, what’s the point in buying your ticket to come in?”
“On Tuesday, we need to focus and work hard because they’re a good side”.
He said: “It’s great to be back in England”.
Pellegrini also called on his team to control their emotions after having players shown red cards in previous big European games.
“Emotionally, it is very important to have a very hot heart, but a cold mind”, said the Chilean, who gives way to Pep Guardiola at the season’s end.
Meanwhile, Samir Nasri will not be considered for the game as the Frenchman was removed from Manchester City’s roster for the Champions League in January due to his long-term hamstring injury.
Manchester City have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Gareth Bale has revealed he has an excellent relationship with Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.
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“Yayá Tourè is out for the game, but the times that Fernando and Fernandinho played together did it very well, like the past season when we knocked Roma out”.
