Man City's Toure fit for Kiev game, says Pellegrini
REUTERS - Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is fit to face Dynamo Kiev in Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second-leg clash at the Etihad Stadium after missing Saturday's 0-0 Premier League draw with Norwich City.
City are in prime position to reach the quarter-finals for the first time after winning the first leg in Kiev 3-1, but manager Manuel Pellegrini warned his side not to falter against opponents who have never won a game on English soil.
"Yaya is fit to play tomorrow. He has no problems," the Chilean told reporters on Monday.
City's season has been marred by inconsistency as exemplified by their failure to beat a Norwich side sitting 14 places below them in the standings.
"The most important thing is to know we have not yet qualified. We play against a team who know how to play this type of game," Pellegrini added.
"We're not going to play with the score we got in Kiev, we're just going to say it's 0-0 and try to win the game tomorrow."
The manager refused to give up on the league title, although City trail leaders Leicester City by nine points with both sides having nine games to play.
"We have another 27 points to play for in the Premier League," Pellegrini said.
"You never know what can happen in football but our target is just to think about this game, then the derby (against Manchester United on Sunday). We must finish as near to the top of the table as possible."
Pellegrini, who will leave City at the end of the season to make way for Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola, denied once again that his impending departure had affected the squad.
"For me, leaving at the end of the season or not, it's the same responsibility -- I don't think one thing is linked to another," he said.
"Before I arrived here, the club didn't qualify for the last 16 (of the Champions League) but we've done it twice in the first two years."
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)