Manchester City’s Ivory Coast talisman Yaya Toure is likely to miss the club’s first ever champions league semi final game because of a thigh injury.
The midfielder picked up the injury in Saturday’s 4-0 premier league win over Stoke but stayed on until the end because the club had exhausted it’s three substitutions.
There is however better news for City with captain Vincent Kompany declaring himself 100% for the massive game.
The Belgian said the players were well placed to cope with the demands that a major game like that brings about.
“There’s not a day in my life where I’m thinking these occasions are stressful or difficult,” said the 30-year-old Belgium international.
“I want this for myself – and at this level all players want this for themselves. You have to play against those players as many times as we can and try and beat those teams.”
“That’s what’s going to make history for this club. For every single player in the team, if you’re not hungry tomorrow, then you’ll never be hungry in football.”
The key stats
- Manchester City have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history. They have only won one of their four home games in the knockout stages, against PSG in this season’s quarter-finals (D1 L2).
- Manchester City have only kept one clean sheet in their 10 Champions League games against Spanish opposition – a 3-0 away win against Villarreal in November 2011.
- Manchester City are the only team left in the semi-finals who have averaged under 50% possession in the Champions League this season (48.6%).
- Real Madrid have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in each of the past six seasons, the longest current run. It is also their 27th appearance in the final four of the Champions League or European Cup, more than any other team.
Source: Various