Manuel Pellegrini believes Manchester City can still top Group D despite the 1-0 defeat at Juventus, though there was more bad news for City with a hamstring injury leaving Joe Hart a doubt for Saturday’s game at Southampton.
An 18th-minute Mario Mandzukic volley was enough to seal the Italian side’s victory, with Fernandinho having spurned a chance just before the goal. Raheem Sterling, a late substitute, also missed an opportunity to equalise yet Pellegrini was pleased with City’s display four days after they were beaten 4-1 by Liverpool.
The manager said: “First of all it was a very good game for both teams. Both played well and we were very unlucky to lose this game. The minimum we deserved was a draw but they scored a goal and I thought there was a foul before Mandzukic finished the play. We had chances to draw but missed those chances.”
For City to top the group and so have the best chance of a favourable last-16 draw they must defeat Borussia Mönchengladbach and hope Sevilla beat Juventus in the closing round.
“The group is not finished,” Pellegrini said. “Of course it was a chance tonight at least to draw so we continue defending what we had into the last game. In this moment we must wait to see what Juventus will do against Sevilla. It is a very difficult game they must play away. Sevilla must win that game if they want to continue in the Europa League. There is one game more and the group is not finished.”
Hart was excellent throughout and it will represent a sizeable blow should he be unavailable –although the goalkeeper himself thought it was nothing serious. He was forced off towards the end and was replaced by Willy Caballero.
“In this moment it’s impossible to know,” Pellegrini said. “He has a problem in his hamstring, maybe it can be from the hamstring or the back problem he has been carrying in the last few weeks. Tomorrow [Thursday] we will see with the doctor what the problem is with Joe.
“We hope we will not lose him. But if for some reason he cannot play on Saturday I have a lot of trust in Caballero. Joe is playing very well but Willy is also a very good goalkeeper. We have seven or eight players injured and we will see the medical report to see what team must start on Saturday against Southampton.
“It’s a difficult moment for the team. That’s why I was not so unhappy with the way we played because we didn’t have many chances to make substitutions and had to take Sergio Agüero out after 65 minutes.”
David Silva, who has been out with an ankle problem, could return to face Southampton. “David improved a little bit more the last two days and he’s working with the physio in Manchester. We will see, we don’t have many days until Saturday,” Pellegrini said. “Vincent [Kompany] doesn’t have any chance to play this week. He’s hasn’t started running so he has at least two weeks more.”
