Defensive duo to miss Bayern clash
December 05, 2011 10:37:45 UK
Aleksandar Kolarov is struggling with a groin injury.Manchester City are facing an injury dilemma ahead of Wednesday's vital Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich.
Boss Roberto Mancini has been rocked by the news that left-back Aleksandar Kolarov could miss the next three weeks with a groin injury, and Pablo Zabaleta is also a doubt with a knee problem.
The pair have been Mancini's preferred first-choice full-backs for games in Europe this season, resting both Micah Richards and Gael Clichy for Premier League encounters.
But those two are now on stand-by for a game City need to win and hope Napoli draw or lose against Villarreal for them to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
The gaffer picks a team to win a football match and we will sit down again on Tuesday and try to pick a team to go out and beat Bayern.
David Platt
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Mancini's team are 8.00 to beat Bayern 2-0 while Napoli are 6.50 to draw 1-1 in Spain. City are 1213.00 to win the Champions League while Bayern can be backed at 1.40 to win Europe's top trophy.
City's ability to rotate their star-studded squad has been one of the main factors behind them setting the pace at the top of the Premier League table this season.
And with league games against Chelsea and Arsenal also on the horizon, even their vast resources are set to be stretched to the limit.
City's assistant manager David Platt insists they will attempt to strike the right balance against Bayern, saying: "The injury to Kolarov is just one of those things. We have rotated things as we have gone along.
"The gaffer picks a team to win a football match and we will sit down again on Tuesday and try to pick a team to go out and beat Bayern."
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