Guardiola explains Toure omission

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola says he did not want Yaya Toure to have a wasted trip to Romania after leaving him out of his side’s game at Steaua Bucharest. Toure was among a number of big names left in England for the first leg of the Champions league play-off tie, with Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony and Jason Denayer also left out of the travelling party. Guardiola was pressed on the Ivory Coast international’s omission at his pre-match media conference ahead of today’s game and claimed it was nothing to do with his training performance, saying he did not want the midfielder to travel if he was unlikely to play.

 

Eden Hazard is excited by Chelsea’s change in approach under new head coach Antonio Conte. Belgian winger Hazard was voted PFA Player of the Year as Chelsea won the Premier League title in 2014-15, but his form dramatically dipped in their woeful championship defence last term as he failed to net a top-flight goal until April. Hazard is enjoying getting to grips with the philosophy of the new boss and is relishing a fresh start this season.

 

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri reiterated the aim for this season is for the Premier League champions to avoid relegation. As funny as it may sound to some, that is the goal for Ranieri and his side, almost three months on from their Premier League triumph – one of the greatest achievements in sporting history. Leicester emerged from the clutches of relegation in 2014-15 to the summit of England’s top flight in the space of 12 months, but Ranieri insisted that is firmly in the past following Saturday’s season-opening 2-1 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City.