Roberto Mancini has assured Kolo Touré that he has a significant part to play in Manchester City's chase for a top-four Premier League finish, despite the club captain having lost his place after a difficult first season since leaving Arsenal.
Touré, a £14m recruit last summer, has made only five appearances since the start of the year because of his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations and then a knee injury. The Ivory Coast defender, who turns 29 on Friday, is now fit but has been unable to regain his place. Mancini has preferred to use Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott in central defence.
The goalkeeper Shay Given has been captain in Touré's absence but Mancini has no plans to make that a permanent switch. "Kolo was out of the team initially because he had a [knee] problem for two weeks," Mancini said. "He is OK now and still very important for us. We still have a lot of games left and we will need all the players to be 100%."
Touré may get a chance to return to the team for Sunday's game at Fulham now Wayne Bridge is out for a month. Bridge has had a hernia operation, leaving Mancini to consider whether to move Lescott to left-back or bring in Javier Garrido or Sylvinho.
City's defence has looked stronger with Lescott alongside Kompany but Mancini said: "When I arrived [at the club] I played with Kolo alongside Vincent because Joleon was injured and in every game we had a clean sheet."