FA ignores own ban to let Touré start training again

(GETTY IMAGES)

The Football Association has waived the final three weeks of Kolo Touré's training ban to enable him to regain fitness ahead of the conclusion of his enforced six-month absence.

An FA tribunal ruled in May that the Manchester City defender should be banned from playing and training with City until 2 September as punishment after taking his wife's dietary tablets and City had expected that the two or three weeks it would take for the Ivorian to return to fitness would deprive them of his services until next month.

This news offers some relief to manager Roberto Mancini, who has not bought the established centre-half he believes his side need for the new campaign. Mancini is expected to start £38m signing Sergio Aguero on the bench tonight as City begin their Premier League campaign at home to Swansea City, with Carlos Tevez unlikely to play even a substitute's role until next Sunday at Bolton.

City continue their pursuit of Arsenal's Samir Nasri although the deal remained incomplete last night.

Manchester City (probable; 4-2-3-1): Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy; De Jong, Barry; Silva, Y Touré , Balotelli; Dzeko.

Swansea City (probable; 4-3-3): Vorm; Rangel, Caulker, Williams, Tate; Britton, Allen, Agustien; Dyer, Sinclair, Graham.