Pearce hopes for Sinclair boost

Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce is hoping for some good news about injured winger Trevor Sinclair.

The former England star, who missed virtually all of last season with a ruptured cruciate ligament, is due to have scan on the knee injury he picked up during the first half of Sunday’s Barclays Premiership defeat to Bolton.

But, although Sinclair will not be in the squad for tomorrow’s Carling Cup clash with Doncaster, Pearce says the early indications are the damage is not as bad as he initially feared.

“I think Trevor has stretched ligaments in his knee but we will not know for sure until all the tests are done,” Pearce told the Manchester Evening News.

“I have got my fingers crossed.”

Andy Cole (hamstring) is also out of the trip to Belle Vue but otherwise Pearce intends to field a strong side as City take the first steps on what they hope will be a journey to their first major trophy since 1976.

Provisional squad: James, De Vlieger, Weaver, Mills, Onuoha, Dunne, Distin, Jordan, Sommeil, Thatcher, Reyna, Barton, Sun, Croft, Sibierski, Musampa, Hussein, Ireland, Vassell, Fowler.