Pep Guardiola to consider recalling Yaya Toure to Man City's Champions League squad
Sunday 20 November 2016 23:27, UK
Pep Guardiola has revealed he will consider recalling Yaya Toure to Manchester City's Champions League squad after the midfielder impressed on his return to their first team.
Making only his second appearance of the season, Toure scored both of City's goals on a testing afternoon in which they ground out Saturday's 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.
It was Toure's first Premier League appearance of the season after his agent publicly criticised Guardiola for leaving him out of City's Champions League squad.
Dimitri Seluk had accused Guardiola of "humiliating" Toure by leaving him out of his 25-strong selection for the competition, and the Spaniard responded by excluding him from first-team football altogether until Toure's recent apology.
Saturday's selection was a surprise but did allow Guardiola to rest some regulars ahead of Wednesday's Champions League fixture at Borussia Monchengladbach - David Silva came off the bench, while Ilkay Gundogan was not involved - but the manager said nothing is set in stone should City progress in Europe.
"Toure is another guy to compete with our midfield players and increase our level," Guardiola said. "Of course now he's not able to play on Wednesday, or in the last (group) game against Celtic.
"If we are able to qualify for the Champions League (knockout stages), after, I will sit with myself, my staff, and we will decide who are the best players to help us to achieve in the Champions League games.
"I'm here to take decisions. Maybe I make mistakes, but I have to take decisions and I respect that all the people cannot agree with me.
"As a player, there is no doubt. If there was a doubt, he would not be here."
Guardiola denied regretting his decision not to select Toure for Europe, and insisted their victory at Palace - on an occasion when they were below their best - had demonstrated their ability to win the Premier League.
"To achieve the titles, you have to win the games when you play in that way," he said. "So I was a little bit worried against Middlesbrough, when you don't concede absolutely anything and you create enough chances to win the game (and still don't).
"In that moment, I thought, 'We have to make a lot of things to win' and when you are not in a good performance and you need a win, it's impossible to win. (This) maybe, was a good step, but in the long term you have to play better.
"I am more satisfied when we play (well but don't win) against Middlesbrough for example, against Everton, even Tottenham in the second half, than (against Palace), but you have to win."
