KOLO SET FOR RETURN

The Manchester City defender Kolo Toure is set for a shock return to the first-team in the match against West Ham. The 31-year-old has not been a part of the first-team action for quite a while. He was signed by the former manager Mark Hughes for £ 16 million from Arsenal. However, he has fallen out of favour with the current manager Roberto Mancini. He has been linked with a move to various clubs across Europe, but the move never materialised due to the high wages of the player. He has recently said that he wants to remain at the club and fight for his place.

He will be getting one of his few chances in the match against West Ham due to the injury crisis currently affecting the manager. Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany have been the first choice defenders for Manchester City, but the summer signing Matija Nastasic has also been able to stake a claim for himself in the first team. However, it will be Kolo Toure as part of the starting line-up in the match against Manchester city. The Turkish club Bursaspor came extremely close to signing him in the summer. Due to the injury two players like Richards, Maicon, and Zabeleta, it is likely that Kolo Toure will be picked for this match against the Londoners.

“I fight. My team-mates know, my brother knows. I do my best but the club are showing me the way out at the moment. I’m not angry with the manager. If someone doesn’t want me then there will be another club that does. I still have this hunger. I take Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes as an example – what they are doing for Manchester United is incredible. I want to be like them,” said Kolo Toure a few months back.

CARRA HAS A FUTURE

The Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has said that the defender Jamie Carragher still has a future at the club, despite not being one of the first-team regulars in the last few years. It was not long ago that the 34-year-old defender was part of the starting line-up on a consistent basis. However, his age coupled with the few injury problems have meant that the previous managers have not selected him on a consistent basis. It is the same case with the current Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers as well. This has led to rumours intensifying that the defender will finally leave the club at the end of this season.

His widely expected to announce his retirement from professional football if he does decide to leave Liverpool. However, the Liverpool manager has said that Jamie Carragher still remains part of his plans and intends to use the player include matches due to his extraordinary experience. He has also said that the former Liverpool Academy graduate will have the ability to one day become the ambassador to the club. The Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has also been guaranteed a role as the ambassador at the club. Brendan Rodgers also confirmed that Jamie Carragher is in contention for a starting role against Young Boys in the Europa league.

“I had a conversation with Jamie when I first came in and he wasn’t sure about where he was at in his career. He has been a stalwart at this club and was a regular until last season. But I’ve been so impressed by him on and off the pitch. I think he can play on. He is one of the guys who is the soul of this club and there has to be a place for someone like him. Whether he wants to play on is up to him,” said Rodgers.