Yaya Toure injury latest: Manuel Pellegrini confirms Toure could miss the rest of the season sparking World Cup doubts

Pellegrini believes it is unlikely that Toure will play again after limping out of Liverpool defeat

Jack de Menezes
Tuesday 15 April 2014 09:24 BST
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Yaya Toure was forced off with a groin injury in the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool
Yaya Toure was forced off with a groin injury in the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool

Manchester City look set to face the task of overhauling both Liverpool and Chelsea in their pursuit of the Premier League title without influential midfielder Yaya Toure after he limped out of the 3-2 defeat to the Reds, sparking fears he will miss the rest of the season.

With City already 1-0 down, Toure attempted to curl a long-range effort towards the Liverpool goal but appeared to injure his groin in the process. Despite attempting to play on, the Ivorian was on the attack again when he collapsed to the floor in pain, and it was clear that his day was done.

Manuel Pellegrini replaced the midfielder with Javi Garcia having been forced to make a change after just 19 minutes, and the Chilean has admitted that Toure is unlikely to see the 30-year-old in action again this season.

“It will be difficult for Yaya Toure to finish playing this season,” Pellegrini revealed to foreign television, putting his participation in the World Cup in Brazil with the Ivory Coast into doubt.

City saw their title hopes suffer a massive setback in the defeat, given that victory would’ve put the Premier league title in their own hands as victory in their remaining six matches would see the trophy return to the Etihad stadium.

Instead, Liverpool sit seven points clear of third place City having played two matches more than their rivals, and the loss has also allowed Chelsea to get back into the title race having looked to be slipping away from the top of the league.

Goals from Raheem Sterling, Martin Skrtel and Philippe Coutinho were enough to see off a spirited City comeback, which was inspired by the introduction of James Milner early in the second-half as the England international helped set-up a David Silva strike and a Glen Johnson own goal to level the scores at 2-2.

Had it not been for a poor day at the office for captain Vincent Kompany, City could have emerged with a point from the match, but questions regarding the Belgian’s fitness before kick-off were soon replaced by talk of arguably his worst performance in a City shirt as the skipper was at fault for all three goals.

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