City release big name trio

City release big name trio

Manchester City trio Martin Petrov, Benjani Mwaruwari and Sylvinho will all leave Eastlands this summer after the club opted not to offer them new contracts.

All three were used only sparingly by boss Roberto Mancini last season and their departures were expected, with the Italian set to bring in a number of players during the close season.

Dear Fantasy Gods,

Please let Petrov find a good home this summer. One with a Premier League team who plans to use him on a weekly basis and let him take kicks. It doesn't have to be Newcastle, but that would be a lot of fun.

Sincerely,
Neal and Jeremy

Benjani will step in for injured Jones

UPDATE:  Never mind.

Kenwyne Jones will be able to play a part in Sunderland's Barclays Premier League run-in after being spared a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Manager Steve Bruce feared being without Jones for a month after the striker limped off at half-time during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester City, but Bruce was handed a major boost when scans revealed no lasting damage and Jones could even retain his place in the squad for Birmingham's visit to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Bruce told the club's official website: "Kenwyne's had a scan and, thankfully, the damage isn't as bad as we first feared. It's too early to say whether he will make Saturday's game, but we will keep an eye on him, give him all the treatment we can and keep our fingers crossed."

  ---

Kenwyne Jones could be sidelined for at least a month and miss half a dozen games after limping off at half-time yesterday with a muscle strain.

But manager Steve Bruce will resist any temptation to recall Martyn Waghorn from his loan spell at Leicester City and will instead hand Benjani his opportunity to shine alongside top scorer Darren Bent.

Benjani at 5.76 could be a nice option for Sunderland's upcoming 2-game week at home to Birmingham and at Aston Villa. He's even cheaper than Frazier Campbell (5.96) who will likely play wide right, if he continues to start.

Transfer math

Looking at the headlines and trying to put 2 and 2 together to see what we get.

Allardyce looking at Vieri +
Big Sam admits Ruud defeat +
Benjani open to Pompey return
 = Benjani to Rovers

Math is fun!

Castillo returns to training

Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson has been handed a boost via Nery Castillo's return to training...

But the 23-year-old is nearing a return to first-team action after returning to training.

"The medical people say Nery is now allowed to do everything with the senior squad including physical contact and tackling, so that is good," Eriksson told the club's official website.

"It has not been easy for him having to work with the fitness coaches all the time."

With Bojinov back (having scored for the reserves last week, the "emergence" of Sturridge, and Benjani the presumptive first choice in Sven's 4-5-1, it looks like all of a sudden that there is a lot of competition for places in Citeh's attack.