Source: Daily_Mail
Given a boost: Shay plays through the pain to help City's push for Europe
Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given is playing through the pain of a worsening abdominal injury as he tries to help his new club in the European League standings over the next eight days.
Republic of Ireland international Given has been one of the signings of the season since arriving at Eastlands from Newcastle in January and was a star of City's UEFA Cup campaign.
But it is understood that the 33-year-old goalkeeper has been nursed tentatively through the last month of the season after suffering agroin problem.
Playing through the pain: Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given
It is not yet known whether Given will need surgery in the summer to clear the problem up for good but City manager Mark Hughes has been astonished that his goalkeeper has continued to play, with daily assistance from medical staff and a light training regime.
Given is expected to be in the City team that faces Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday and Hughes has not yet given up on capturing the seventh spot in the Barclays Premier League that will guarantee European football next season.
Hughes said: 'Nobody outside the club really gave us much chance against Manchester United last week and we lost that one, so this game at Tottenham was always likely to be the big one for us.
'If we can win this then that will give us a great chance as we go in to the final game of the season at home to Bolton next weekend.
'It is important to us that we finish the season on a high and European football would give is something to look forward to next season.'
