Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini praised his players for their support of teammate Wayne Bridge after their victory over Portsmouth.

Mancini revealed three of Manchester City's players wore shirts bearing the words "Team Bridge" in support of team-mate Wayne Bridge during the Premier League win over Portsmouth.

Bridge is still missing with a knee injury and was not present for the 2-0 victory. But City stars Carlos Tevez, Nigel de Jong and Stephen Ireland felt it was important to show their backing for the England full-back, who has found himself at the centre of a media storm following allegations of an affair between the 29-year-old's former girlfriend and England skipper John Terry.

"The players are very close to Wayne," said Mancini. "He is a fantastic player and a good guy. It was a nice gesture."