SOCCER:ROBERTO MANCINI has challenged his Manchester City players to show they have the competitive strength to ensure the defeat by Manchester United does not have further repercussions for their season.
Mancini wants his players to demonstrate there is no hangover from the loss at Old Trafford on Saturday when they face Aris Thessaloniki in the last 32 of the Europa League today. The Greeks have an impressive home record in Europe, unbeaten in 24 games over the past 40 years, but Mancini believes his team will be glad to have a quick opportunity to lift the gloom that has engulfed the club since the weekend.
“It’s very important that we bounce back,” Mancini said. “I don’t think we will have a problem mentally, but when you have played so well away from home, when you think you have deserved to win but you lose, it can be very hard. It’s important for us that we have a game so quickly and we need to go on a run now.”
Mancini’s determination to avoid another bad result can be gauged by the decision to bring a strong squad to Greece, mindful that Aris beat Atletico Madrid in the group stages and that players can possibly be rested for Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay against Notts County.
James Milner is missing with a hamstring injury and Nigel de Jong is still unfit, but Mario Balotelli’s place on the flight is merely a case of reintroducing him to a competitive environment after his latest absence with a knee injury.
Michael Johnson, out for 16 months after a wretched run of injuries, has also returned to the squad and Shaun Wright-Phillips is in line to start his first match since City rejected a transfer request in the last week of January. Last month Mancini challenged the winger to re-establish himself at the club.
“He wanted to leave because he wanted to play more matches and I can understand this,” Mancini said. “Now it’s important that when he gets the chance he plays with 100 per cent.”
City’s travel plans were disrupted by Joleon Lescott arriving at the airport without his passport and, after a delayed flight, the defender revealed he had spent Saturday evening playing a City-versus-United match with Wayne Rooney on an X-Box computer link. Typically, Rooney won.
“He’s given me a hard day,” Lescott summarised, “but I think I will beat him next time.”
Lescott echoed the mood of optimism in the City camp ahead of the game. “I spoke with Nemanja Vidic after the game and, while we were disappointed, I do not think we could have done anything about it.
“I don’t think Wayne will be able to do that again so soon. It was one of those goals by special players. They do big things and score big goals at the right time.
“But we have to get United out of our system and focus on tomorrow. It helps we have a game so soon, so let’s try to get back to winning ways.
“We don’t feel the Premier League title has gone but it will be much harder. We feel confident going into every game we can beat the team we are up against.”
Carlos Tevez is included even though he has rarely featured in the competition this season.
Edin Dzeko travelled with the squad, as did Jo, who has found himself down the pecking order.