Last Saturday’s defeat to Orlando Pirates saw some stellar talent not even make the subs’ bench, with Roque Santa Cruz, Gareth Barry and Carlos Tevez sitting out the game after only arriving from Abu Dhabi the day before.
Globe-trotting Tevez started last week in Argentina without a club, and ended it in South Africa as a City player having travelled via Manchester and the Middle East. However, it was not jet lag, but a niggling injury that has kept him out thus far in South Africa, as Mark Hughes explained at Monday afternoon’s press conference at the ABSA Stadium ahead of Tuesday’s encounter with the Kaizer Chiefs.
“The likelihood is that Gareth will take part tomorrow, but Carlos has not had a training session with the group since arriving because he has had a slightly bruised heel. He will train today, but it is only his first session so it may be a bit soon for him to play tomorrow. But, with a bit of work going into next Saturday’s game, the hope is that he will take some part in that one.”
There was also news on when another of this summer’s acquisitions, Emmanuel Adebayor, will meet his new team mates for the first time.
“Emmanuel is travelling out and should be with us tomorrow,” Mark added, “we will see what condition he is in then and I can make a decision with regard to whether he’s available for the game at the weekend.
“The group is really excited by the impact of the new players, and they are really looking forward to the challenge of this season. That’s due to the high quality we have been able to add to what we already had in the squad, so everybody is excited by what’s ahead.”
One player who will not be joining the squad in South Africa is Micah Richards, who will continue his recovery from a well-publicised bout of swine flu in Manchester.
“It was confirmed to us last week that he had contracted swine flu, and he was quite ill for two or three days, but thankfully he is now a lot better,” Hughes said. “Initially the idea was to bring him here for the second week because he had played internationals late into June, but we were advised it was better if he did not travel. He stays in Manchester, and will have a week’s training there before we come back.”
The Manager also refuted suggestions made in a newspaper story this morning that Nedum Onuoha would be sold as a makeweight in a deal to bring another defender to the Club.
“I am aware of that story,” he added, “and I can say categorically that there is not truth in it whatsoever. Nedum is one of our finest young players, he was outstanding for us last season, and I am not looking to move one of our prize assets away from Manchester City.”
