Friday 27 November 2015 22:39, UK
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has refused to be drawn on reports linking Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola with moves to the Etihad stadium.
Reports in Friday's The Sun newspaper claim Messi is in talks over a £800,000-a-week move to the Etihad while City have repeatedly been linked with Guardiola, and with several former senior Nou Camp officials having moved to the Etihad it is possible that the Munich boss would have admirers at the club.
Former Barcelona general manager Ferran Soriano is City's chief executive, and Txiki Begiristain is director of football having held an equivalent position with the Catalan club.
Guardiola pulled out of his pre-match press conference on Friday as speculation escalated that he has decided to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
But Pellegrini vowed to carry on unperturbed, saying on Friday: "I don't talk about rumours. Every manager in the world would like Lionel Messi. But I never talk about rumours."
On the Guardiola link he said: "It is a rumour that we have had for the last two-and-a-half seasons here. There is not a problem about that. I don't analyse different rumours. Everyone can make rumours, write or talk about different rumours.
"It's not a lack of respect about me - this is the profession. It is that way. In every big team - Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United - it is the same thing. You must have trust in your work - that's very important.
"The only confidence I have is about my work. I think that is the way you must try to demonstrate the kind of manager you are. I never have any problem about my work, so it doesn't matter what they say."
Pellegrini confirmed that Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta will miss Saturday's game against Southampton after picking up an injury in Turin on Wednesday night.
Hart picked up a hamstring injury in the 1-0 defeat by Juventus while Zabaleta has missed City's last five games.
Citu have suffered back-to-back defeats but Pellegrini's side will return to the top of the league on Saturday if they beat Southampton at the Etihad stadium.
On a positive note, Wilfried Bony and David Silva are back in the squad for the weekend's game.
Pellegrini said: "Joe Hart's is not a very serious injury but it is a muscle injury and it is important for him to recover well. It depends how he improves but I think he will be out for ten days.
"I never complain about players who are injured - that is why we have a squad. I have confidence in Willy Caballero.
"Pablo Zabaleta is out for around ten days - he has the same injury in the ligament in his knee. He needs a treatment now. Eliaquim Mangala will also miss the game.
"Both Wilfried Bony and David Silva are back on the squad list. Normally, we will have good possession against teams with eight players behind the ball and Silva gives us a different way of playing. He's the player with the most accurate passes in the final third."
