City duo set to miss out

Manchester City duo Darius Vassell and Nedum Onuoha look certain to miss Saturday’s Barclays Premiership clash with Wigan at the JJB Stadium.

The duo returned to training last week after finally getting over long-standing knee and hamstring problems respectively and were believed to have an outside chance of being on the bench for this weekend’s north-west derby.

However, City boss Stuart Pearce is anxious not to push either man any more than necessary.

After they were ruled out of a potential reserve team appearance against Sheffield United tonight, it seems unlikely they would be risked in senior combat until the home encounter with Middlesbrough on October 30.

There is some good news for Pearce though, with USA international DaMarcus Beasley, who has now fully recovered from the ankle injury which has been plaguing him for the past fortnight.

“We are looking for him to enter the fray and create some competition,” Blues assistant boss Steve Wigley told www.mcfc.co.uk.