adminLONDON. — Manuel Pellegrini and Arsene Wenger are ready to risk their FA Cup soccer dreams this weekend to save players for the Champions League.Manchester City boss Pellegrini is facing the first leg of a last 16 tie against visitors Barcelona on Tuesday, so is prepared to rest Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Alvaro Negredo for today’s meeting with Chelsea at the Etihad.
With Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho both out injured, it will leave the Quadruple chasers desperately short for the grudge rematch against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, who beat them in the league last week.
It was reported earlier this week that Mourinho is also looking to excuse some of his big names from the tea-time clash, even though the west Londoners don’t play in midweek.
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Wenger – trophyless since 2005 – could be set to make six changes from the side that ground out a draw with Manchester United on Wednesday as he tries to revive his key men for next Wednesday’s clash with European champions Bayern Munich.
Lukasz Fabianski will likely take over from Wojciech Szczesny in goal, with Lukas Podolski, Nicklas Bendtner, Mathieu Flamini, Nacho Monreal and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joining him in the Gunners’ starting line-up against Liverpool.
Wenger said: “We gave a lot against Manchester United and certainly for Sunday, I will have to make some changes. We will see how everybody recovers but we gave a lot.
“Now we have Flamini coming back from suspension and I will have to make some changes on top of him. But still, I think it’s a big game for us on Sunday and we want to win it.”
Loan signing Kim Kallstrom is back in England as he steps up his rehabilitation from a back injury. The Swedish midfielder was Arsenal’s only January arrival, but arrived from Spartak Moscow with the injury and isn’t due back until next month.
He is now back at the club’s London Colney HQ to compete a rehabilitation programme following treatment in his homeland. City could have Samir Nasri back, though.
The France midfielder is back in full training after six weeks out with medial knee ligament damage and says he feels fresh because of his lay-off.
“I’ve missed a month-and-a-half of competition, but it’s allowed me to recharge my batteries,” said the France midfielder.
Nasri also has his eyes on Tuesday’s showdown with Barcelona at the Etihad and insists Manuel Pellegrini’s side can win.
“With City, we’re still in four competitions with the aim of winning them and in the Champions League, we are going to have an exciting game against Barca,” he said.
“For me, they are more beatable than in the past and personally, I think we can knock them out. If our injured players are back, with a full team, I think we can beat them.”
Meanwhile, Manchester City host Premier League title rivals Chelsea today, with Arsenal tackling Liverpool a day later, and both ties carry extra intrigue due to recent encounters between their respective protagonists.
Chelsea took control of the title race with a 1-0 victory at City on February 3, while Arsenal’s own championship ambitions were ruthlessly undermined in a chastening 5-1 defeat at Anfield last weekend.
Liverpool’s 3-2 win at Fulham on Wednesday means that just four points now separate the four teams at the head of the table, with Chelsea leading the way and the club from Merseyside bringing up the rear. Liverpool’s victory over Arsenal may have left deep scars, with the London club’s manager Wenger admitting after a 0-0 draw with Manchester United on Wednesday that his players had become “nervous”.
Wenger saw his side’s defence breached four times in the first 20 minutes at Anfield, but Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny believes there is no chance of a repeat at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow.
“You can’t say you saw the real Arsenal at Anfield. You have to judge us over a longer period of time,” said the Poland international.
“People have seen the real Arsenal over the last year. We conceded five on Saturday, but our defensive record over the last year or so has been amazing.
“You saw that against United. We didn’t concede against a top side with fantastic strikers, and we hope to do that against Liverpool.”
FA Cup Fixtures (5pm unless otherwise stated)
Today: Cardiff City v Wigan Athletic, Manchester City v Chelsea (7:15pm), Sheffield Wednesday v Charlton Athletic, Sunderland v Southampton (2:45pm)
Tomorrow: Arsenal v Liverpool (6pm), Everton v Swansea City (3:30pm), Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest
Monday: Brighton and Hove Albion v Hull City (9:45pm) — The Mirror-AFP.
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