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| Joe Hart injured his hamstring against Juventus on Tuesday |
MANUEL PELLEGRINI has given Wily Caballero a vote of confidence as he prepares to replace injured Manchester City and England No 1 Joe Hart, while insisting he is not affected by reports that Pep Guardiola has been lined up to replace him.
A hamstring injury has ruled Hart out of tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Southampton, Tuesday’s Capital One Cup quarter-final tie against Hull City and, probably, the visit to Stoke next Saturday.
It means Argentinian keeper Cabellero will get the chance to answer questions whether he is good enough.
He had a nightmare on his last Premier League appearance – the 4-1 defeat at Tottenham in September – and his overall record since joining City from Seville 18 months ago has not inspired confidence among fans.
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| Willy Caballero came off the bench for City at Juventus in midweek |
Caballero has conceded 18 goals in his 10 starts but Pellegrini insists he has lost not confidence in him.
“Yes, of course I have a lot of trust in Willy,” he said. “We have lost Joe when he was in very good form but happens in football and I never complain about players who are injured.
"Joe has a hamstring injury and maybe he could be out for maybe 10 days.
“Fortunately, it is not a very serious injury but it is a muscle injury so it is important for him to recover well.
“I don’t agree with the view Willy looked nervous. Maybe he made a mistake against Tottenham but I think a lot of goalkeepers make mistake.
"Every player makes mistakes. Joe made a mistake against Norwich. Willy played very well in both the Capital One Cup ties he played.”
City’s No 3 keeper Richard Wright, who last played a Premier League game nine years ago for Everton, will be on the bench.
Skipper Vincent Kompany is still missing with his troublesome calf but David Silva is back after a nine-game absence with an ankle injury and Wilfried Bony is fit again after three weeks out with a hamstring strain.
Pellegrini admits his team need to return to winning ways after going three games without a win and scoring only two goals.
He added: “It was not a good week for us. We lost the two games against Liverpool and Juventus. Maybe we improved a bit in midweek but it was not a result we wanted. But we were already qualified for the next stage and that is important.
“Now we have two games at home. If we win we are going to recover one position in the Premier League and we have the opportunity to reach the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup.
“We are an attacking team and scoring so few goals in the last few games is a worry for me. I hope we will recover.
“Of course, the results are a concern. Maybe only one defeat for this club amounts to a ‘crisis’ in the media.
"But if you made overall over the season I think we are having a very good season. You cannot make analysis on two games. But we must improve from the last two games.”
Pellegrini says City’s up and down form is in keeping with an unpredictable Premier League results grid so far this season – and he joined Arsene Wenger and Louis Van Gaal in suggesting surprise packets Leicester can last the title pace.
“In the Premier League you never know which team will win against the other.
"You see Liverpool came here and beat us but Crystal Palace went to Liverpool and won and then Sunderland went to Palace and beat them.
“If Leicester are top of the table after 13 games, why can’t they continue? “
He refused to discuss the latest rumours linking Guardiola and Lionel Messi with City.
“I don’t talk about rumours. I think every manager in the world would like Lionel Messi.
"As for the rumour about Pep, it’s the one we have had for the last two and half years!”
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