Source: Telegraph
Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland out for two weeks with hamstring injury
The midfielder, who was substituted after 55 minutes at Molineux, was assessed on Tuesday morning and will be out for the next fortnight. [LNB]Ireland will miss the FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough on Saturday and the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final with city rivals United on Wednesday. [LNB] Related ArticlesMancini makes his markReal deny Sheikh Mansour bidAlan Shearer wrong about Mark Hughes's sackingMancini: City are title contendersWolves 0 Manchester City 3Sport on televisionCity then face Blackburn at home in the Premier League on Monday, Jan 11 and Everton away the following Saturday. [LNB]But manager Roberto Mancini will hope to have Ireland back for the second leg against United at Old Trafford on Jan 19. [LNB]It is a blow to Mancini because while he does have options, notably record signing Robinho, Ireland has impressed lately, returning to the form which made him one of the most impressive young players in the country last season. [LNB]Instead, the 23 year-old faces a race against time to be fit for the trip to Everton and the decisive return leg against United. [LNB]Mancini is facing a shortage of players in other areas as well. [LNB]With Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor now on African Nations Cup duty with the Ivory Coast and Togo respectively and Joleon Lescott, Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge all sidelined through injury, the Italian has particular problems in defence. [LNB]Little wonder it he is ready to bring in Ivan Cordoba from Inter Milan as a reinforcement, although Mancini has admitted he is meeting some resistance. [LNB]Inter Milan defender Ivan Cordoba has asked for the Italian champions for permission to speak to Manchester City over a possible £4 million move to Eastlands. [LNB]Mancini is keen to make the 33-year-old Colombian his first signing at City when the transfer window opens on Jan 1. [LNB]Inter are currently on a mid-season training break in Abu Dhabi, home of City owner Sheikh Mansour, and Cordoba has made it clear to Inter president [LNB]Massimo Moratti that he wants to open talks with Mancini. The City manager, who spent four seasons in charge of Inter before leaving the club in 2008, is also in the hunt for Brazilian full-back Maicon, but the nerrazzurri are reluctant to sell the player before the end of the season. [LNB]
