Manchester City Football Club News

• Nickname:Sky Blues
• Founded:1887
• Manager:Roberto Mancini

• Ground:City of Manchester Stadium
• Capacity:48,000

Hughes mulls youth options

22 Apr 2009 - 11:57:49

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Manchester City boss Mark Hughes has admitted the growing injury list at Eastlands has left him contemplating raiding the club's youth ranks.

Wales striker Craig Bellamy is set to miss the rest of the season and full-back Pablo Zabaleta is expected to miss at least two games.

Hughes has already named academy graduates Vladimir Weiss, Adam Clayton and Ryan McGivern on the bench this season and has admitted the younger members of his squad are likely to be called on more in the closing weeks of the campaign.

He told the club's official website: "There are a number of players who are very much in my thoughts.

"It's about circumstances leading into games and the expectations and whether or not we get into the position in games where we can bring players on in a positive atmosphere and allow them to develop slowly in the correct manner.

"We have to look at how the squad is. We've probably lost Pablo for a number of games and the opportunities will present themselves.

"We still need to win Premier League games, that's important for us. But if the opportunity presents itself to blood a young player, we'll have a look at that."