Champions League

Bacary Sagna 'to get Champions League chop' by Manchester City

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 16 January 2015

Deputy right-back Bacary Sagna reportedly faces being cut from Manchester City's Champions League squad to accommodate new signing Wilfried Bony.

Bacary Sagna reportedly faces being cut from Manchester City's Champions League squad following the signing of Wilfried Bony.

Bony completed his £28m transfer from Swansea City on Wednesday and is eligible to play in the knockout stages of Europe's biggest club competition.

However, UEFA restrictions placed on the Citizens for failing to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations mean that they can only have 16 foreign-trained players in their reduced squad of 21.

Former Arsenal star Sagna appears to be the favourite to be dropped by Manuel Pellegrini to accommodate Bony, having failed to provide genuine competition for Pablo Zabaleta at right-back this season.

The 31-year-old has only made seven Premier League or Champions League starts since joining City on a free transfer in the summer, and Pellegrini could trust Dedryck Boyata or James Milner to cover for Zabaleta.

Stevan Jovetic's injury record means that he is another whose place in the squad is thought to be in jeopardy, with the arrival of Bony pushing the Montenegrin, who has five goals in 21 games this term, down the pecking order.

City face Spanish giants Barcelona, who have won the competition three times in eight years, in the last 16.