Kolo Toure Absent for Man City for Wigan match
- By A.D. Winn on March 4, 2011 14:01 GMT
Boss Roberto Mancini will mark his 50th game as Manchester City manager against relegation-threatened Wigan, fresh from the news he will be without Kolo Toure for the long-term future.
The 29-year-old Ivorian defender has been suspended indefinitely by his club until a full inquiry into his failed drug test has taken place. Toure is believed to have taken one of his wife’s diet pills, which has caused the results to become noticeable.
Toure has started 18 league games for City so far this campaign, in a season heavily reliant on squad rotation. His absence will now see City weakened at the back, despite the imminent return of Vincent Kompany.
Despite this obvious setback, Mancini will want to stay focused and determined as the season begins to come to an end. His side play their fifth home game in a row, and are currently undefeated in five games over three competitions, however their league form tells a different tale – just two wins from the last seven domestic games – form which has seen their title chances slip from their fingers.
Expected to return to the starting line-up is striker Carlos Tevez, who looks set to make his 150th career Premier League appearance against a side that he netted a hat-trick against in last season’s meeting.
Wigan have won just four matches out of their last 20 games – the most recent, a 4-3 win over Blackburn, making up three of the seven points they have obtained so far in 2011.
They have defender Emmerson Boyce missing for the next few weeks with a hamstring strain, but will be able to call upon promising young midfielder Tom Cleverley, who was unable to appear against his parent club in Wigan’s 4-0 loss to Manchester United last week.
Form
All Competitions:
Man City: DWWDW (12 goals for, 1 against)
Wigan: DWDLL (7 goals for, 11 against)
Premier League:
Man City: LDWLD (7 goals for, 6 against)
Wigan: LDWDL (8 goals for, 12 against)
Premier League 09/10:
Wigan 1-1 Manchester City
Manchester City 3-0 Wigan
Premier League 10/11:
Wigan 0-2 Manchester City
