Man City line-up to face Aris in return Europa Bout
- By A.D. Winn on February 23, 2011 23:44 GMT
Roberto Mancini will be hoping of a repeat of his side’s last game as they welcome Greek side Aris to Eastlands for the 2nd leg of their Europa League tie.
City trounced Notts County 5-0 in the FA Cup over the weekend, progressing to the next round to face Aston Villa. Mancini will be happy to have striker Mario Balotelli match fit after the Italian striker was forced off during the tie after a clash of heads with County defender Krystian Pearce.
Sadly for the Citizens boss, he has other injuries to his squad at a crucial stage of the season. Micah Richards suffered a calf injury, and is likely to miss the game, and is joined on the injury table by Shaun Wight-Phillips (back), James Milner (hamstring), Adam Johnson and Nigel de Jong (both ankle).
The biggest shock was a repeat of Shay Given’s shoulder problem; an injury that kept him out for last three games of the previous season.
Rumours have been persisting over the Irishman’s future at the club after falling to second choice behind England’s Joe Hart. With Givens latest injury keeping him out for the rest of the season, he may have played his last game for the club.
Rumours are also persisting over Carlos Tevez’s future in Manchester, after talk of a move back to South America has re-surfaced with Brazilian side Corinthians hinted to be the destination. Nothing concrete has been confirmed, as Tevez is tied to a contract until the summer of 2014.
In a discussion with the press this week, City midfielder Yaya Toure claimed that with the financial riches the club has on tap, Man City could aim to overcome his previous club Barcelona as one of the best football clubs of this era.
“At the moment you cannot compare Barcelona with City,” Toure confessed. “But City are still signing new players. In a couple of years we could maybe be better than Barcelona. But what we need to continue to do is work hard and try to continue to improve with every game.”
In their last away fixture in this competition, City’s opponents Aris won 3-2 against Atlético Madrid, and should not be underestimated.
Form
All Competitions:
Manchester City: DWLDW (11 goals for, 4 against)
Aris Salonika: DWLDD (3 goals for, 3 against)
Europa League:
Manchester City: WLWDD (8 goals for, 5 against)
Aris Salonika: DLWWD (5 goals for, 3 against)
