Nicolás Otamendi is hopeful of recovering from a dead leg to be available for Manchester City’s derby with Manchester United on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium.
Otamendi sustained the injury after 24 minutes of City’s goalless draw with Dynamo Kyiv at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening as the club reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time.
But the central defender, who followed Vincent Kompany off the field after the captain sustained another calf injury, is optimistic he will be fit for the 171st Manchester derby on Sunday.
“It’s very similar to a dead leg injury I have had before – I will have a test [on Wednesday],” the Argentinian said. “The blow wasn’t that serious but it was better not to continue and come off. The test I hope it shows nothing and am hopeful I can be there on Sunday.”
Having qualified for the last-eight draw on Friday, City hope to resurrect a faltering title challenge as they are 12 points behind Leicester City with nine matches left, having played one game fewer than the leaders. “We are very happy to go through,” Otamendi said. “I will have to be 100% and try to win the Premier League game. It’s a derby, we want to win.”
Jesús Navas said: “The important thing is that we got through and we have to think about the derby now. We’ll see who are drawn with on Friday and go from there.”
