Yaya Toure wants to delay his departure for the Africa Cup of Nations in order to help City through a hectic start to the New Year.
Midfielder keen to stay at City as long as possible
Yaya Toure says he wants to delay his departure for the Africa Cup of Nations in order to help Manchester City through a hectic start to the New Year.
The tournament, co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, has come at a bad time for City, who face seven games in 24 days over a jam-packed January.
Ivory Coast international Toure and his brother and Blues team-mate Kolo are due to link up with the rest of the national squad for training on January 11th - the day Roberto Mancini's men face Liverpool in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final.
The midfielder is hoping to push back joining up with Ivory Coast in order to feature in that crucial clash, as well as the Premier League trip to Wigan five days later.
Toure said: "We're due to start training with the national team on the 11th.
"The problem is in this country we don't stop while around Europe they have a break. Here, in December and January you are playing every three days.
"So maybe I can go on the 16th or 17th. The competition does not start till the 21st."
Faith
Toure could miss crucial games across three competitions if Ivory Coast progress in the cup and may return as late as February 12th.
But the midfielder has faith in his City team-mates to keep the club at the top of the table while he and his brother are absent.
"I have total confidence in my friends here. We have Nigel de Jong, James Milner, Samir Nasri and Gareth Barry can all play that position and do a fantastic job," he added.
"At the moment we have players like Barry who are doing more work than a young boy in that position. It's unbelievable.
"We have Milner who is always running. Maybe Nasri can play in there.
"It will be hard, we play Liverpool twice in the cup and play Manchester United as well. I hope my friends will do well because now we have a good chance."
