Manuel Pellegrini has urged Manchester City to believe they can win without Yaya Toure after the defeat to Arsenal became the fourth league game in which they have failed to do so in his absence.

Toure is away with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations and so missed Sunday’s 2-0 defeat, and was also not in the City sides who could only draw with Arsenal (in the reverse fixture), Everton and Burnley earlier this season.

After today’s visit of Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, City travel to Chelsea in the league, on January 31st. With the defeat to Arsenal allowing Jose Mourinho’s team to stretch their lead to five points, Pellegrini knows the match at Stamford Bridge is key to City’s hopes of defending the title.

Toure will be unavailable until next month and Pellegrini has urged City to be positive until the 31-year-old returns.

“He is very important player for us,” the manager said, “but for the moment we must continue playing and not thinking it is impossible to win without him because I don’t think this team depends on just one player.”

Pellegrini also denied jet lag may affect City in the fourth-round tie with Middlesbrough despite the manager deciding to remain in Abu Dhabi an extra day rather than return on Thursday evening from the club’s warm-weather break. He was given the option to come back earlier but the team returned last night instead.

There may be a risk in arriving back in Manchester less than 24 hours before today’s 3pm kick-off but Pellegrini said: “No I don’t think so. We have prepared for it and the hours of difference and direction we fly across time zones will help too.

Any problems

“There is just four hours difference which we gain so we don’t have any jet lag. I don’t think we will have any problems. We came here to have a break and do different kind of work.

“We play a lot of games in January and it has been very useful for the team to come here and I hope when we return we will see the benefit of it.”

Frank Lampard suffered a hip injury in City's 2-0 friendly win over Hamburg in the emirate on Wednesday but there is a chance the midfielder may be able to face Middlesbrough.

“We will see if he can play on Saturday,” Pellegrini said. “It’s not an important injury and we hope he will be okay.”

Middlesbrough are second in the Championship, only a point behind leaders Bournemouth, and Pellegrini is expecting a difficult match. “I expect a very good game. They are in a very good position in the Championship,” he said.

Guardian Service