Yaya Toure’s agent has criticised Pep Guardiola for humiliating the midfielder by leaving him out of Manchester City’s squad for the Champions League group stages.
The 33-year-old Ivory Coast international has failed to make any of City’s match-day squads for their first three Premier League games of the season with Guardiola saying Toure needs to improve his work rate without the ball.
Joe Hart’s loan move to Torino meant City were unable to fill the eight home-grown spots required by UEFA as part of their 25-man squad, and as a result they have named only 21 players with Toure missing out.
Though critical of Guardiola’s decision, Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk says his client remains determined to force his way into the Spaniard’s plans.
“If he wins the Champions League for City this season then I will travel to England and I will say on television that Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world,” Seluk told Sunday Mirror Sport.
“But if City don’t win the Champions League then I hope that Pep has got the balls to say that he was wrong to humiliate a great player like Yaya.
“This is Pep’s decision and we must respect it. Yaya is a professional and so he will do everything he is asked to do.
“Perhaps Pep will think he is good enough to play in the final 10 minutes of a League Cup game against a third division team – and, yes, I am joking.