Manchester City trio in line for return in League Cup final

Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that he expects Wilfried Bony, Eliaquim Mangala and Jesus Navas all to return from injury for Manchester City in Sunday’s League Cup final against Liverpool.

Striker Bony and centre-back Mangala have not featured since early January due to respective calf and hamstring injuries, while Navas has missed City’s last four games with a hamstring strain of his own.

Pellegrini also told reporters today that Vincent Kompany, Bacary Sagna and Raheem Sterling did not train with the rest of the squad today as they recover from playing 90 minutes in the 3-1 Champions League last-16 win over Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday.

“For different reasons, the recovery of the players that played the complete game is not the same for all of them,” said Pellegrini. “They have different ways of recovering but I hope the three of them will be fit for Sunday.”

Bony, Mangala and Navas’s returns mean that City have everyone apart from Kevin De Bruyne, Fabian Delph and Samir Nasri fit for Sunday’s final.