• Premier League

Bony arrival hands City selection dilemma for Pellegrini

Wilfried Bony's arrival at Manchester City will cause selection problems for Manuel Pellegrini © Manchester City FC

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Manchester City face an awkward decision in choosing which of their foreign footballers to omit from their Champions League squad when they name it on Tuesday evening.

Stevan Jovetic, Aleksandar Kolarov and Willy Caballero could be at risk as City have to leave out one senior player following the January arrival of striker Wilfried Bony.

City are allowed to feature 17 non-homegrown players in their Premier League squad but, as part of their punishment for failing Financial Fair Play, they can only register 16 in European competitions this season.

They filled that quota in the Champions League group stages but the addition of 25 million striker Bony from Swansea means manager Manuel Pellegrini will have to tell one of his players that they will not feature again in the competition this season.

Forward Jovetic has only begun 18 games in an injury-hit 19 months at City, is yet to score a European goal for the club and, with Bony providing an alternative attacker, could make way in a move that would raise doubts about the Montenegrin's future at the club.

Left-back Kolarov has only made four starts since October as Gael Clichy has become established as the first choice, while the ability of right-backs Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta to operate on both flanks might put his position at risk.

While some thought Sagna, who has only been a bit-part player since his move from Arsenal, could be omitted, the Frenchman was chosen ahead of Zabaleta for Saturday's draw at Chelsea and, with Yaya Toure suspended for the first leg of City's last-16 tie with Barcelona, it is unlikely Pellegrini would also choose to be without either Fernando or Fernandinho.

However, goalkeeper Caballero has failed to displace Joe Hart and has conceded 11 goals in his last five games, although his omission would leave the veteran Richard Wright, who is still yet to make his City debut, as the only senior cover if the England international were injured or suspended.

Clichy, who qualifies as homegrown, and defender Dedryck Boyata, who is deemed a club-trained player, do not come under the foreign quota.

City's 17 foreigners are: Willy Caballero, Bacary Sagna, Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Martin Demichelis, Eliaquim Mangala, Aleksandar Kolarov, Fernando, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Jesus Navas, Samir Nasri, David Silva, Stevan Jovetic, Edin Dzeko, Wilfried Bony, Sergio Aguero.

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