Gael Clichy ready to take his chance at Manchester City

Gael Clichy believes he needs to prove his fitness and ability for Manchester City after starting just two Premier League games this season.

Gael Clichy believes he needs to prove his fitness and ability for Manchester City after starting just two Premier League games this season.

The former Arsenal full-back missed the opening three months of the season through injury, but could be set for an extended run in the first team with Aleksander Kolarov now sidelined.

Clichy said he wanted to remain fit for the rest of the season and make the most of his opportunity.

"My aim for the rest of the season is to remain fit because without that I can't hope for anything," he told the Daily Star.

"I'm feeling really strong and feel good in training. I know what I'm capable of and I'm ready for any challenge that is put in front of me."

Clichy said he was glad to see the back of the knee injury that kept him out at the start of the season.

"It was quite a rare injury. A piece of bone came off in my knee so we had to get it attached again," the 30-year-old said.

"The surgeon hadn't seen many like it but you have to get it fixed.

"After about six weeks I felt really good but probably pushed it too hard. The injury and recovery period lasted about nine weeks and I'm feeling much better now."

Pellegrini: Silva nearing his return

The Spain international is back in light training following an ankle injury and is expected to be available soon, but will miss Manchester City's trip to Aston Villa.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says David Silva could return to action after the international break.

The playmaker is back in light training as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury he picked up while playing for Spain against Luxembourg in a Euro 2016 qualifier last month.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque named his squad for the forthcoming friendlies against England and Belgium on Friday and did not include Silva.

And speaking ahead of Sunday's trip to Aston Villa, Pellegrini confirmed Silva remained short of fitness and is targeting the home match against Liverpool on November 21.



"Silva's ankle is not 100 per cent," Pellegrini said. "I hope after these 15 days he will be okay.

"The Spanish national team know David cannot play and so there is no problem."

Sergio Aguero remains on the sidelines alongside Silva, while Pellegrini does not believe Fabian Delph and Gael Clichy are fit to start despite returning to the bench for Tuesday's 3-1 Champions League win against Sevilla.

"Clichy and Delph are back, but maybe not ready to start," he said.

"We hope that all of the players will have recovered after the break as we play a lot of games. I hope then we can rotate more."

Delph, recalled to Roy Hodgson's England squad this week, joined City in a close-season move from Villa – performing a controversial U-turn having initially stated his intention to remain at the club.

The 25-year-old can expect a frosty reception on his return to Birmingham, but Pellegrini believes that would be unfair.

"I hope he will not receive any jeers," he added. "He played a lot of years for Aston Villa.

"Aston Villa wanted to sell him. He continued being a player that gave a lot for Aston Villa. I don't think Villa fans will forget that.

"It's good for Fabian to play for England. He played some minutes in the Champions League and maybe he will play some on>

Manchester City can hit top note by sealing qualifying spot in Champions League with defeat of Sevilla in Group D

Manuel Pellegrini releaxed ahead of Sevilla game where Manchester City can take step towards knockout stages.

While Jose Mourinho lurches from one disastrous result to the next, and Manchester United sleep-walk through goalless draws, it must be of some consolation to Manuel Pellegrini that the most pressing concern on his horizon is the likely reaction of the Manchester City fans to the Uefa Champions League anthem on Tuesday night.

The progress of City of late has been serene relative to the problems of certain other Premier League big beasts and they can qualify for the knockout round of the Champions League with two games to spare if results go their way on Tuesday.

The travelling support will doubtless be vociferous when the Zadok the Priest variation strikes up but meanwhile Pellegrini is not shouldering anything like the burden he was at this stage of the competition one year ago.

Then, City failed to win until their fifth game against Bayern Munich and qualified with eight points; this time they could have nine points from four games and a place in the knockout round. They need to win themselves, and for Juventus to win away to Borussia Monchengladbach, but the two late victories over the Germans and then Seville in Manchester have transformed their fortunes.

The Uefa charge over the club fans booing the Champions League anthem appears little more than a source of amusement now for Pellegrini, not a man who is easily amused. “I think everyone has the right to boo or protest about different things,” he said. “It is important the way you do it. If they feel something is wrong, everyone has the right to say what they want.”

He added: “My general opinion is that they [the City fans] will boo because Uefa is not doing this very well.”

Both Gaël Clichy and Fabian Delph are back for Tuesday night’s game in a squad still missing Sergio Agüero, David Silva, Samir Nasri and Pablo Zabaleta and yet expected to be too strong for last season’s Europa League winners. Jesus Navas, who played for Seville for 10 years before he joined City, and whose picture adorns the walls of the stadium, is in contention to start but Pellegrini said he could offer no guarantees.

After nine years working in La Liga, Pellegrini concluded that while Spain had the better “technical league”, the Premier League had greater quality throughout.

“When I arrived in 2004 there were six or seven important teams, including Real Madrid and Barcelona, there was Sevilla, Betis, Valencia, Athletic Bilbao,” he said. “The last years there were just the two teams, and Atlético Madrid. In the Premier League you have five very strong teams who can win the league. The other teams have more money to have very good teams.”

That level of competition, as well as the gruelling Christmas period, contributed to the struggles of English teams in the Champions League knockout stages, he reasoned. As a club who have never made it past the second round of the competition, that will not be an excuse the City hierarchy will want to hear again. For now though, City will settle for a calmer progress than they have enjoyed in recent years.