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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Dan O'Toole

Man City stars return to training after Tottenham Hotspur defeat as Pep Guardiola is handed key injury boost

Oleksandr Zinchenko returned to Manchester City training on Thursday ahead of the Blues' Premier League game against Tottenham on Saturday.

Zinchenko had been sidelined since City's 2-0 victory over Cardiff on April 3 with a thigh strain and missed both legs of the Champions League quarter-final defeat by Tottenham.

The Ukranian's absence coincided with Benjamin Mendy's return to fitness, with the France international featuring at left-back in three of City's four games since the Cardiff win.

Fernandinho, who took Wednesday night's defeat badly , also trained. Others pictured being put their paces included Leroy Sane, Danilo and Nicolas Otamendi.

Spurs inflicted a second quarter-final defeat on Pep Guardiola's side in as many seasons after Raheem Sterling's would-be winner was chalked off after the Video Assistant Referee adjudged Sergio Aguero to have strayed offside in the build up.

City will look to exact revenge on Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs at the Etihad on Saturday lunchtime as the Blues look to maintain their bid to retain the league title for the first time in their history.

The Blues will pip Liverpool to the title with victory in each of their five remaining games, with Guardiola's men holding a game in hand over Liverpool who sit two points clear.

Uefa react to VAR controversy which saw Man City dumped out of the Champions League

Pep Guardiola message to Man City players after Champions League devastation  

And the City boss reinforced his side's determination following the defeat-on-away-goals by Spurs.

"It's tough. It's cruel but we have to accept it," he said.

"We fought a lot, nine, 10 months for the Premier League. It's in our hands. It's tough, but we have to do it."

"I am so proud of the players and the fans," added Guardiola.

"I have never heard noise like that since I have been in Manchester but football is unpredictable."

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