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Negredo facing Champions League axe

Alvaro Negredo is out injured with a metatarsal problem © Getty Images

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Manuel Pellegrini is considering whether to leave injured Alvaro Negredo out of Manchester City's Champions League squad for the first half of the season.

City are allowed to name 17 non-homegrown players in their Premier League squad but only 16 in Europe as part of their punishment from UEFA for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

Negredo, who is sidelined until October with a metatarsal injury and will miss the start of City's European campaign, could be the odd man out.

"Maybe, we will see how his injury goes so we have a lot to decide," said Pellegrini at a news conference. "When we have to give the squad for the Champions League, we will decide which player we must leave off the list."

Negredo is certain to sit out Monday's game against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, with new signing Eliaquim Mangala the only other City player who will not come into contention.

The centre-back has only been in training for two weeks after completing his protracted £32 million move from Porto.

But Frank Lampard, who is on-loan from New York City, is available to make his debut, though he is unlikely to start as he is another who is not yet fully match fit.

Sergio Aguero came off the bench to score in City's 2-0 win at Newcastle on Sunday but Pellegrini hinted last season's top scorer will be a substitute again as he looks to nurse him back to full match sharpness.

Pellegrini added: "Sergio needs a long pre-season that is why he is playing just some minutes during the game but he is available and Lampard also.

"Mangala is just starting working with us so I think that he needs more time to go with our squad. All the rest of the squad are fit except Negredo."

Right-backs Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna, who did not feature in either the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal or the victory at Newcastle, are available although they, along with Vincent Kompany, Martin Demichelis and Fernandinho, are yet to reach their peak condition.

"For this week all of them will be not 100 percent but ready," said Pellegrini.

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