Soccer

Yaya Toure a serious doubt for PSG Champions League tie

Manchester City’s experienced midfielder is already ruled out of Bournemouth match

Manchester City’s Yaya Toure is likely to sit out the club’s PSG match. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Manchester City’s Yaya Toure is likely to sit out the club’s PSG match. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Jamie Jackson
Fri Apr 01 2016 - 15:55

Yaya Toure has been ruled out of Manchester City's trip to Bournemouth on Saturday due to a knee injury and is a serious doubt for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg at Paris Saint-Germain along with Joe Hart.

While Hart is still recovering from the calf problem he suffered in the 1-0 derby defeat to Manchester United before the international break, Toure had been playing for sometime with the injury.

Manuel Pellegrini, the City manager, said: "Toure has some trouble in his knee - the last month he's been playing with the same problem. I'm not 100 per cent sure but I think it will be difficult for Joe or Yaya to play against PSG."

There is better news concerning Kevin De Bruyne, who has been out since late January due to a knee ligament injury. The Belgian had scored 12 goals and made 12 assists before suffering the injury late in the Capital One Cup second leg against Everton, and he is now fit enough to be included in Saturday's squad.

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"Kevin worked the whole week without any problem. Of course it's two months that he couldn't play, but I saw he worked very well without any problem, same with Samir Nasri [who had a hamstring injury], so I hope both of them will be important for the last part of the season," said Pellegrini. "At the end of the season when you've had so many players playing a lot of games during the whole season it's important to have fresh players. They are in the squad list because they are ready to play. Maybe not 90 minutes but they can play."

While the Chilean confirmed Raheem Sterling will be out for "four or five weeks more" due to a groin injury, Pellegrini is hopeful the outcome of Martin Demichelis's Football Association charge for gambling will not be severe.

The central defender has until April 5th to answer the charge he made 12 breaches relating to matches between 22nd and 28th January. But his manager said: “I spoke with Martin, he told me what he did, we must see what the FA think about that. We must wait for next week. He’s part of the squad he’s always very committed with this project, so if he has made a mistake we will see how important is but I don’t think it’s that serious.”

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