Ireland and Bellamy out of Euro squad
Craig Bellamy and Stephen Ireland have been left out of Manchester City’s squad for next week’s Europa League qualifier against Timisoara.
City have to submit a list of names to UEFA in line with new guidelines about home-grown players and even though there are spaces in that squad for them - only 23 of a possible 25 names were registered – neither Bellamy nor Ireland has made it.
The news will disappoint many Blues fans, who are becoming resigned to the departure of two players that have been crowd favourites down the years.
Bellamy said yesterday that he did not expect to be in Roberto Mancini’s 25-man Premier League squad, while Ireland was expected to be part of the deal that will see James Milner move to Eastlands from Aston Villa before Martin O’Neill’s resignation threw the whole transfer into confusion.
New signing David Silva also misses out. As Spain ended up in the World Cup final and Silva has also been forced to undergo a lengthy trip to Mexico for tonight’s friendly with Spain, Mancini probably reasons the winger would be better served by continuing to train, knowing he can make adjustments for the competition proper.
City’s three other new arrivals – Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng and Aleksandar Kolarov – have made the squad, as have two players whose futures are shrouded in doubt; Roque Santa Cruz and record signing Robinho.
Squad: Given, Hart, Taylor; Richards, Boateng, Zabaleta, Kolo Toure, Lescott, Logan, Bridge, Kolarov; Wright-Phillips, Adam Johnson, Yaya Toure, Michael Johnson, Barry, Vieira, Kompany, de Jong; Adebayor, Robinho, Santa Cruz, Tevez.
