Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester City 1 Stoke 1: Wayne Bridge is a Fab choice for England
Outstanding: City left back Wayne Bridge[LNB]The next three months are the most important of Wayne Bridge's career - and he has begun the crucial phase full of promise. [LNB]Although the fall-out from John Terry's affair with Bridge's ex will dominate his thoughts off the field, an injury to Chelsea's Ashley Cole has raised the Manchester City star's status to first-choice left back for England as the World Cup looms. [LNB]It was in this context that Fabio Capello turned up to see Bridge on Saturday. And the England boss was so impressed by Bridge as he continues his return after a knee injury that he will now name him in the England squad to face Egypt at Wembley on March 3. [LNB]Bridge, however, is undecided about whether to remain an England player in the wake of the Terrygate scandal and he will announce his decision later this month.[LNB] Capello is hoping he can put his personal issues to one side after seeing the full back play so well against Stoke. He was an able attacking partner for Martin Petrov on the left, while his defensive work was the best of the back four. City, marking zonally at set-pieces, can be dreadful yet Bridge was outstanding. [LNB]City manager Roberto Mancini said: 'Wayne is still recovering from his injury but he's okay.[LNB] 'But he can improve game by game. In the last 20 minutes, he was tired and this is normal when you're coming back from an injury. [LNB] Tap in: Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips scores[LNB]'Yes, I spoke to Capello. He asked about his players and if everything was OK. After injuries, Joleon Lescott and Wayne must improve and they will. [LNB]'Yes, the World Cup is important for the club's England players but doing well for City is the most important thing. [LNB]'I don't know how Bridge is coping. I can only say Wayne is a good player. Now he is not 100 per cent but the situation with the England team without Cole, I think Bridge would be a good replacement.' [LNB] Enlarge Under Mark Hughes City were unpredictable. Under Mancini, they are drab. Results mean everything to the Italian. If he can continue this Cup run and claim fourth place in the Premier League then his style will be vindicated, but his side did not look good against Stoke. [LNB]CHANGING TIMES.... Manchester City v Stoke in 1934 attracted 84,569, the record attendance for an FA Cup tie outside London, but just 28,019 turned up at Eastlands. [LNB]Given the lead through Shaun Wright-Phillips, City never looked like scoring again against a team who will cause them problems in the league at Stoke tomorrow and the Cup replay on Wednesday week. [LNB]Against teams with a cutting edge, City can suffer and it was no surprise when Ricardo Fuller rose to head in Rory Delap's long throw-in for a deserved equaliser. [LNB]The Jamaican has scored in every round and Delap said: 'He's a handful for anyone on his day and he had a good day today.' [LNB] Crystal Palace 2 Aston Villa 2: Eagles cash in - Neil Warnock praises his Cup battlers as Martin O'Neill's men escape with a draw Fulham 4 Notts County 0: Bobby Zamora gives a reality check to League Two dreamers FA Cup sixth round draw: Chelsea head for potential Man City showdownMANCHESTER CITY FC
