Toure left out of City squad for Champions League playoff

The England goalkeeper was left out by Pep Guardiola for the Premier League season opener against Sunderland on Saturday, casting doubt over his future at the Etihad Stadium.

“We are going to try and score goals and try to convince the players how important it is to play in the Champions League and how attractive it is”, the City manager said at his pre-match media conference.

“We travelled with young guys (Angus Gunn, Tosin Adarabioyo and Angel Tasende) who may stay out of the selection, and I prefer that to be the young guys than Yaya Toure”. I have a lot of respect about how they play and we are going to try to score goals because in the Champions League scoring goals away is so, so important. “That is why he didn’t play, the only reason why”.

Hart, 29, has been at the Etihad Stadium for ten years now having signed from Shrewsbury Town back in the summer of 2006, and he’s racked up nearly 350 appearances for the club having become City’s undoubted first-choice goalkeeper since the start of the 2010/11 campaign.

Those who play in any of the Champions League qualifying rounds are eligible to play for another club in the group stage. “If a player decides to leave it’s because they believe it’s the best decision”.

Claudio Bravo has been targeted as a more natural fit for Guardiola’s footballing style, but Juventus legend Buffon was quick to point out that Hart has bounced back from adversity before.

“I am very optimistic we can play the football I want. He is a big professional”.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Super Cup second leg against Sevilla, Mascherano said the Barcelona players were in the dark over the situation.

“I saw enough games about Steaua”.

Guardiola is known to prefer playing with a goalkeeper comfortable in possession and Bravo’s pass completion rate of 84 per cent was the highest of any stopper in Europe’s top five leagues last season.

Inter Milan were strongly linked with a move before they sacked Roberto Mancini, and it appears the Ivorian doesn’t have many options on the table as deadline day looms.