Players from both sides of Wednesday’s game have been speaking ahead of the second leg, while a familiar name returns to provide some gossip to our media roundup.
We’ll start with our upcoming game and City will not be changing their approach in order to protect their two goal lead. That’s according to Daily Mail today.
Craig Hope has the story, in which our Argentine full-back says: ‘Nah, we’re not going to change.”
“This is the way we’ve been playing until now and I think it would be a big mistake if we went to Monaco to defend.
“We are a team who need to play to win the game. I think that’s the best way to go through.”
Meanwhile, fellow full-back Gael Clichy has reiterated his desire to help the Blues end the season with silverware.
The defender is out of contract in the summer, but has told the Manchester Evening News that any such talks can wait until the current campaign draws to a close.
In Ciaran Kelly’s piece, Gael said: “I am focused on the games and nothing else. You have to put contracts to one side and think only about winning trophies.
“This can still be a great season and I will do everything to play my part.”
To Ligue One now and Monaco’s diminutive playmaker Bernardo Silva has spoken of his confidence in his side’s ability to overturn a two goal deficit.
The Portuguese told FourFourTwo: “Yes, we will have to make an outstanding match. We know that City are in form right now.
“But with our supporters we can do it. We have this ambition, then we will see.
“We know we must not concede a goal and we know that is not easy against this team.
“We’re going to try to concentrate and not make the same mistakes that we made. We also know that offensively we are able to score.”
There are suggestions in the media that if the Red and Whites are to score, it may not be thanks to the potency of Radamel Falcao.
The Mirror report the Colombian striker is a doubt for the game after picking up an injury against Bordeaux this weekend.
Included in the story are quotes from his manager, Leonardo Jardim, who said: “He took a major blow on his right side and we will have to see how it evolves.”
“I hope it doesn’t matter and that it is only a small hit, but will wait to see the exams (test results).
“He is feeling good and I just hope this injury to his hip is not serious. Because if it is okay, he will start the match against City.”
And finally we get to today’s transfer gossip. It’s Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich who journalists are again linking with a move to the Etihad Stadium
The Mirror believe City may pursue the 22-year-old, as Alex Richards writes: “Pep Guardiola has been put on red alert after Joshua Kimmich expressed his unhappiness at a lack of playing time at Bayern Munich.
“The Spaniard is a major fan of versatile German international Kimmich - a player he once declared has ‘got absolutely everything’ to be a world star.
“Seen as one of the brightest prospects in German football, he was a key player for Bayern last season, having arrived from RB Leipzig in 2015.”
That’s all for today, Blues. We’ll be back again at the same time tomorrow with more media musings.
