Nasri may return to face Magpies

28 October 2014 11:16

Manchester City playmaker Samir Nasri could return to action in Wednesday's Capital One Cup fourth-round tie against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium.

The Frenchman has missed City's last seven games after undergoing groin surgery but returned to training last week.

Nasri's potential return leaves former England midfielder Frank Lampard as the only player unavailable for the holders, but manager Manuel Pellegrini could rest some key players.

But the former Real Madrid boss maintains the competition is of high importance.

He said: "It is very important for the club to win trophies, it doesn't matter which competition we are playing. We are trying to win the four competitions in the same way.

"As I said last year, always winning a title at Wembley has extra things, (it is) maybe the most important stadium in the world with 80,000 people seeing, so always it is very important.

Newcastle have lifted some of the gloom over their position with wins in their last two games and Pellegrini is ready for a difficult contest.

He said: "I try not to analyse the rivals only considering the last results.

"They are important players, all the teams here in England have strong squads, so I am sure we must play very well tomorrow if we want to win."

Newcastle defender Daryl Janmaat hopes the pressure affecting manager Alan Pardew has started to lift as a result of a much-needed upturn in form.

A dreadful start to the campaign saw the Magpies fail to win any of their first six Barclays Premier League matches, with some fans calling volubly for Pardew's sacking.

But the sense of gloom has begun to ease, with the Tynesiders taking seven points from their last three matches, including back-to-back wins over Leicester and Tottenham.

Janmaat was one of a handful of new signings caught up in the early season turbulence at St James' Park, but he insists the squad remain steadfastly supportive of Pardew.

"The manager was under a lot of pressure so it's nice that we have given him these points," said the Dutchman.

"The pressure has eased. We want him as the manager - of course. We want him.

"We do not want another manager. If you lose games then it is normal (for the manager to be questioned), but now I expect the pressure to ease on him.

"We needed points and we need to be higher in the table. Two wins in a row after a draw has been very good for us."

Pardew could further strengthen his hand with a big result against City.

It is, of course, no easy task to topple the defending champions, especially on their own turf, but that means Newcastle have little to lose.

Janmaat, although wary of the many options available to his City counterpart Manuel Pellegrini, is approaching the game in a positive mood.

"City have a big squad and a great squad - even their second team is very good," he said.

"It will be a tough game but if we play like we did in the second half at Spurs, then of course we have a chance.

"We've had a great start to the week and we want to win the next two now."

Pardew is likely to be without striker Papiss Cisse due to a knee injury .

Ayoze Perez should continue in his place, while Sammy Ameobi and Remy Cabella made compelling cases from the bench against Spurs, and Ryan Taylor could make his first appearance after enduring more than two years of injury woe.

Source: PA