Injury news

CITY manager Mark Hughes is sweating on the fitness of midfield play maker Stephen Ireland ahead of Thursday's UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg in Hamburg.

The 22-year-old is struggling with an ankle injury he first suffered in Aalborg when the Blues scraped through to the last eight.

Hughes said: "He went over on it again during virtually the last kick of a training match we had last Thursday.

"It was the outside rather than the inside but obviously it's irritated the old injury.

"He has a chance for Thursday but no more than that."

>>MEN.

Not the most promising news to start the week.