It is understood, however, that the Metropolitan Police will not allow the game to go ahead on Saturday because Fulham are also playing at home in the Championship that afternoon. Meanwhile, neither Chelsea nor the BBC are believed to be keen on moving the fixture to a Friday night, which would be one alternative option. And so the FA and the BBC are facing the mildly embarrassing prospect of the biggest match of the competition so far being graced by a second-string City side.
“If we have to play against Chelsea who played four days earlier, the logic is to play on Saturday,” Pellegrini said. “For different reasons, they are putting it on Sunday. But I must do what I think is better for the club, and it is better to try to play with the strongest team in the Champions League. So we will see.”
Meanwhile, Manchester City can overtake Leicester at the top of the Premier League table if they beat them at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday lunchtime. Their captain Vincent Kompany is still injured, as are Eliaquim Mangala, Wilfried Bony, Kevin De Bruyne, Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri.
Pellegrini is leaving City at the end of the season to make way for Pep Guardiola, but he insisted he would not be answering any questions about his future or possible next moves. “I repeat, that is the last time I will talk about that,” he said. “Ask me about the team and the game.”
- Telegraph