Pellegrini right to leave me out – Nasri
Samir Nasri admits he will be hugely
frustrated to be watching from the stands when Manchester City face
Paris St Germain on Tuesday.
But the Frenchman insists he has no
issue with manager Manuel Pellegrini’s decision not to include him in
the squad for the knockout stages of the Champions League as he faced a
lengthy spell on the sidelines, Sky Sports reports.
He returned sooner than expected
following surgery on a serious thigh injury last October, and scored the
winner in a 2-1 home defeat of West Brom on Saturday.
Nasri admits he would have relished
facing his countrymen, who arrive at the Etihad Stadium for the second
leg of their quarter-final tie this week after a compelling 2-2 draw in
France last Wednesday.
“It was something I was really okay
with,” said Nasri of his Champions League exclusion, which allowed
striker Kelechi Iheanacho to be added. “When I had surgery the target
was to maybe play one game before the end of the season.
“We are five weeks ahead of schedule, so I am just happy to be there, playing and to help the team.
“The only thing is it is PSG and I am from Marseille. That is like United against us.
“But that is just about it. I am going
to be with the team and try to help them. It is something historic and
you need to think about the big picture, that to be in the last four in
Europe is something major.”
Nasri’s prime emotions at the moment are of happiness and relief after making such a successful return to the side.
He did feature as a substitute at
Bournemouth last week but his 90-minute appearance on Saturday was his
first start since September and only his third of the season.
“It felt amazing,” the 28-year-old said.
“I was a bit tired by the end of the game but the fact I started and
played again was just great.
“It was really important to close the gap with Arsenal, bearing in mind we have to play them at home.
“For us there is no way we cannot play
Champions League next year. We want to be part of a big club, being top
four every year and one of the best teams in Europe. We have to perform
and make sure we play Champions League next year.”
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