Man City's Bony, Navas, Mangala fit for League Cup final
REUTERS - Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has been handed a boost ahead of Sunday's League Cup final against Liverpool at Wembley, with striker Wilfried Bony, winger Jesus Navas and defender Eliaquim Mangala available for selection.
Pellegrini dismissed speculation he could be without Vincent Kompany, Raheem Sterling and Bacary Sagna after they trained away from their team mates following Wednesday's convincing 3-1 Champions League last 16, first leg win over Dynamo Kiev.
"Sagna, Kompany and Sterling are recovering separately from the Kiev game but I hope the three of them will be fit," the Chilean told a news conference on Friday.
"Mangala, Navas and Bony are training normally and are available for selection."
Pellegrini is hoping to end his reign at City by repeating the double that marked his first season in charge, when he won the League Cup and Premier League.
City are fourth in the league table, six points behind leaders Leicester City.
They are also in pole position to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history after beating Kiev.
Pellegrini was criticised for fielding a weakened team against Chelsea in the FA Cup which resulted in City being beaten 5-1 ahead of the clash in Kiev.
"It was a very difficult decision but it was the correct one," he said.
"To win a title in February gives you a lot of trust to continue fighting for other competitions.
"One of the reasons we won the Premier League was that we were knocked out of the FA Cup in the quarter-final to Wigan in 2014."
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)