ROBINHO GETS NOVARA NOD

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has said that Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will both be involved in the match against Novara from the start. Zlatan Ibrahimovic got a red card in a recent match with Napoli. His presence upfront has been a huge helping point for the likes of Robinho, who run in the spaces created by the Swedish striker.

His return is expected to provide a major lift for AC Milan and Robinho. After experimenting with the side over the last few weeks, AC Milan will be looking to revert to their most favourite and feared formation for the match against Novara.

Novara are in extremely poor at the moment and are now at the bottom of the Italian Serie A table. Even though the game looks extremely easy on paper, it seems that AC Milan are not definitely taking any chances with this match.

As a result, they are fielding their strongest line-up for the match against the bottom club in the division, who have taken just 13 points throughout the campaign so far. The team will be coming on the back of four straight losses, and things certainly do not look good for them in the match against AC Milan as well.

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MANCINI WORRIED ABOUT TOURE LOSS

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has said that he is extremely worried at the prospect of losing Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure in the summer. Kolo Toure was signed from Arsenal for £ 16 million a few seasons ago. He is one of the experienced members of the squad, who also has the experience of having one major titles during his career. However, it is thought that the Ivory Coast international has gone extremely depressed about the lack of first-team opportunities at Manchester city. As a result, it is thought that he would be willing to negotiate his way out of Manchester city, even though it would mean a lot of income loss for him.

Kolo Toure is one of the most expensive players in the Barclays Premier league. It is thought that many Russian clubs are showing interest in the player, while French club PSG are also interested in signing the player on a permanent transfer in the summer. PSG recently appointed former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti at the helm. It is thought that the Italian is keen on bringing experienced players into the squad, with a view of helping them do well in the Champions League.

PSG have already signed Chelsea defender Alex for £ 4 million in the January transfer window, but it is thought that they are keen on adding more quality to the squad. Kolo Toure is someone who fits exactly into the bill for PSG, as he has not only the experience of playing for the top teams in the world, but also having the experience of winning trophies as well. PSG are currently at the top of the French table. Manchester City are also the table leaders, but will be looking forward to keeping their quality present within the squad intact.

NEYMAR: NO CONTACT WITH BARCA

Young Brazilian forward Neymar has not had any contact with Barcelona following the Club World Cup final.

Reports have surfaced stating that Neymar officially met with Guardiola in order to discuss a potential transfer in the summer or in the January transfer window. However, the 19-year-old star, who is thought to be valued around £ 40 million by his club Santos, has categorically denied making any meetings with the Barcelona manager.

Barcelona are currently in the market for a new striker after David Villa injured himself in the club World Cup semi-final. Even if he returns from injury, it is not thought that David Villa is part of Guardiola’s long-term plans.

A move for Neymar would be a neat fit for Barcelona given that he is very much similar to David Villa in terms of size and play. He would also fit in excellently with Lionel Messi playing on the right, as he prefers to play down the left.

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CITY MISSING THE TOURE BROTHERS

Manchester city will be without the services of both Kolo Toure and his brother Yaya Touré during the month of January and early February due to the Africa cup of nations.

Manchester city made the special request to the Ivory Coast national team manager to allow at least Yaya Touré play for a few matches before going out to the training camp. However, Ivory Coast have rejected any such advances on the part of Manchester City saying that the Africa cup of nations is as much important to them, as the Premier League and FA Cup is for Manchester City.

FIFA rules state that players are expected to be called by their national teams at least two weeks before a major tournament. The African cup of nations will be starting on January 21, and Yaya Touré is one of the important members of the Ivory Coast squad. Other Ivory Coast players like Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou have already left for the team preparations. However, Manchester City are in the position of incredible strength in the Premier League table, as the lead for the first time in the Premier League history. Yaya Touré has been one of the important members of the squad since his arrival from Barcelona in a £ 24 million deal.

“Clubs know the rules. I’m expecting them [the Toures] for the Fifa deadline. The national team in Ivory Coast is led by people who are well educated and I was surprised that people in England think that we don’t know the Fifa rules about dates,” Ivory Coast manager Zahoui told BBC Africa. A number of Premier League clubs will be losing African players over the next few months due to this major tournament, which happens once every two years. Arsenal have lost Gervinho, while Manchester United remain the only major team not to lose any player.