MANCHESTER (DF) -- Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is hoping fringe squad players won't knock his side out of the FA Cup tomorrow afternoon as League One strugglers Notts County visit the City of Manchester Stadium for a fourth round replay.
Injuries to several key players and a congested fixture list have forced Mancini to scrape the proverbial bottom of the barrel, handing probable starts to players who, under any reasonable standards, wouldn't normally be in contention. A source at City's Carrington training ground confirmed Mancini's dilemma.
"Roberto is really fretting Sunday's match," said the anonymous source. "He's frustrated. Jo and [Patrick] Vieira are both in line for starts. I think he probably wishes he had gone after a few more players in January."
Former City trainee Liam Murphy, who now follows Manchester City with the Manchester Evening News, feels Mancini's worries over his starting eleven are justified.
"Vieira is well past his prime," Murphy opined. "Five years ago, City would have had something special with him coming off the bench. Now he's off the pace. He belongs in an over 30s league because these 20-somethings keep giving him the run around."
"Jo, on the other hand, is a complete enigma. I always get the feeling he's one touch away from something special. The problem is, he has no first, second, or third touches, so he spends most of the time with his head in his hands, watching the ball roll away."
Murphy continued: "Notts County are too much him. I think his level of talent is right around League Two, where simply being Brazilian scares defenders enough to gift you goals."
Manchester City currently sit 59 places above Notts County in the Football League table.
