Aleksandar Kolarov returns to Manchester City training

Aleksandar Kolarov took part in Manchester City's training session earlier today ahead of tomorrow's Champions League group encounter against Sevilla. 

The left-back missed Saturday's 5-1 victory over Bournemouth because of a hamstring complaint that he sustained while on international duty. 

There had been suggestions that the Serb would also be absent for the clash against the La Liga outfit at the Etihad Stadium, but his presence at training has resulted in speculation that he could now be fit. 

There was not such positive news where David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Fabian Delph and Gael Clichy were concerned, though, with the quartet having all sat out the session with injuries.

Manchester City waiting to see it Aleksandar Kolarov will be fit

Manchester City are waiting to see if they will be without a fit specialist left-back after Aleksandar Kolarov limped off in Serbia's defeat to Portugal on Sunday.

The former Lazio player, who was subsequently sent off from the bench for showing dissent, reportedly suffered a hamstring problem.

The Premier League leaders will already be without Gael Clichy, who is yet to play this season after undergoing ankle surgery, when they host Bournemouth on Saturday.

Kolarov has been an ever-present in the current campaign but could be sidelined as City face a demanding spell of games, including the Manchester derby at Old Trafford and a Champions League double header with Sevilla.

Both of City's right-backs, Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna, have stood in on the opposite flank at stages in their careers and one would be the likeliest to step in if Kolarov and Clichy are out at the same time.

Fabian Delph, as a left-footed central midfielder, might be another option but the England international has been sidelined by his second hamstring injury of his brief City career.

Highly rated teenaged left-back Angelino is unavailable after being loaned to New York City FC.

City have already suffered two major injury blows in the international break with Sergio Aguero out for a month with a hamstring problem and David Silva reportedly out for three weeks after hurting his ankle.

Aleksandar Kolarov: Misses penalty in win over Norwich

NEWS UPDATE

Kolarov registered ten crosses, three key passes and a shot off target but missed a penalty in the 2-1 win over Norwich on Saturday.

ROTOWIRE FANTASY ANALYSIS

The left back was pretty active offensively with the Citizens pushing for the lead the majority of the time and could have easily capitalized with a huge fantasy outcome. However, none of his passes and crosses turned into an assist and the missed penalty, poor shot wide to the right, in stoppage time was the cherry on top of his fantasy wasteland cake.

Chelsea hits new low under Jose Mourinho; Man City and Arsenal win to sit atop Premier League

LONDON - Chelsea's slump in form under Jose Mourinho reached a new low on Saturday after a 3-1 loss at home to Liverpool, while Arsenal and Manchester City continued to set the pace at the summit of the Premier League.

Manchester United, meanwhile, was held to another 0-0 draw, this time against Crystal Palace

Chelsea had the perfect start at Stamford Bridge, taking the lead through Ramires' powerful header after only four minutes.

But Liverpool refused to be flustered, growing into the game and taking control of possession. Philippe Coutinho equalized on the stroke of halftime, slaloming past a Chelsea player before steering a shot left footed beyond Asmir Begovic from the edge of the penalty area.

In the second half, Liverpool's intent to win was evident. Coutinho gave his side the lead on 74 minutes with a shot which deflected off John Terry, before Christian Benteke sealed Juergen Klopp's first league victory as Liverpool manager — and Mourinho's sixth league defeat this season.

In a television interview immediately after the match, Mourinho looked shaken, repeatedly answering questions with "I have nothing to say."

He opened up a little more in the post-match press conference, insisting he does not fear for his job as manager of the team he guided to the Premier League title only five months ago.

"There are things that are out of our hands," Mourinho said. "I have some players really sad in the dressing room and I am full of respect for them."

Arsenal beat Swansea 3-0, with goals coming from Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Joel Campbell in the second half.

City needed an 89th minute penalty by Yaya Toure to beat Norwich 2-1 at home. Nicolas Otamendi's powerful header gave City the lead, before an error from goalkeeper Joe Hart gifted Norwich an equalizer through Cameron Jerome.

Toure's penalty came after Russell Martin handballed and was sent off. City missed a second spot kick, through Aleksandar Kolarov, in added time.

Both City and Arsenal have 25 points, but City is first with superior goal difference.

"It really was an extraordinary game," City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. "The last 10 minutes, the most important thing of my team is we have the character and the trust.

"We are not finished until the last minute. It is a relief because it is important not to drop points here at home."

Manchester United drew 0-0 at Palace, its second straight goalless draw in the league after being held by City last week.

Louis van Gaal's side dropped to fourth, with Leicester moving third after coming from behind to beat West Brom 3-2 away.

Striker Jamie Vardy scored his eighth straight game for Claudio Ranieri's side. The England striker is the league's top scorer with 11 goals in 11 matches.

West Ham failed to continue its impressive form so far this season with a 2-0 defeat at Watford, while Newcastle was held to a 0-0 draw by Stoke.

City show signs of breaking European glass ceiling

Seville, Spain: Without talisman Sergio Aguero, playmaker David Silva and record signing Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City's trip to Sevilla was full of the perils that have scarred a rocky path for their previous Champions League campaigns.

Instead, Manuel Pellegrini's men flew out of the traps. Within 11 minutes City were 2-0 up in Seville and the 2,500 travelling fans' boos for the Champions League anthem had turned to their favourite chorus of 'Blue Moon Rising.'

City's stock in Europe is now on the up, too. Aguero's deputy Wiflried Bony added to the early strikes by Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho to seal a 3-1 win that sealed the English side's passage into the last 16 with two games to spare.

The contrast between their first two goes at the Champions League, when City failed to make it out of the group, or even last season's chastening experience when they needed wins in their last two games over Bayern Munich and Roma to make it through, is striking.

"The first feeling is 'finally'," said captain Vincent Kompany, one of the few City players to have lived through all the highs and lows of two league titles and constant European failure over the past four years.

A history of tough draws has seen them turfed out by Barcelona at the last 16 in each of the last two seasons having finished behind Bayern Munich in the group stages.

But for a side with City's resources, the knockout stages should be the bare minimum and finally there is a sense of Pellegrini's men maturing and learning from their previous disappointment.

Compliment

Sevilla had won their last 10 European games at home on their way to back-to-back Europa League crowns and even Barca have failed to beat them in 90 minutes on their last three encounters.

"One thing I can say about this game is that we weren't naive," added Kompany.

"When English teams come up against European teams we have to adapt our style, but we played in a very British way tonight because we had a big man up front with lots of running through midfield and we hurt them."

Perhaps the greatest compliment of all came from Sevilla boss Unai Emery.

"City's response was that of a top team in the Champions League," he said.

"We knew they had pace on the counter attack and they were very efficient."

It was the pace of Sterling in particular which tore the Spaniards to shreds time and again.

The English international scored his first Champions League goal, set up the second and was even applauded off by some of the Sevilla faithful when he made way for De Bruyne.

Sterling was much criticised for the manner in which he forced through a transfer from Liverpool in the summer, but he admitted it was for Champions League nights like this he made the move.

"It's great to be part of this squad and with the players we've got I'm learning every day.

"I'm just glad to be here and to be able to take part in football matches like this one."

City's job in the group isn't finished. They lead Italian champions Juventus by one point with the two set to meet in Turin in three weeks' time.

Finish first in the group and the likes of Barca, Bayern and Real Madrid are unlikely to be lurking until at least the quarter-finals.

"It would be a first for us to finish first in the group and that is important," said Kompany.

On this form and with Aguero, Silva and De Bruyne to return, it shouldn't be the only first in City's ascending Champions League trajectory this season.