Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri is back in contention following injury for this weekend's FA Cup fifth-round tie with Chelsea. Boss Manuel Pellegrini said: "He is a very important player, it is impossible not to miss him.
"But we also had other injured players before him - David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Stevan Jovetic and Vincent Kompany - and we always managed to continue winning.
"In the last two weeks I said this was not an excuse because we have had a lot of injuries during the year.
"In the last two weeks maybe we have had injuries in the same position and that has been a major problem.
"Samir Nasri is a very important player and we always miss him, but with the squad we have I think we can also win without him."
Two other key players in top scorer Aguero and midfielder Fernandinho remain on the sidelines but Javi Garcia is also fit again after a muscle strain.
Pellegrini said: "I think it is very important to have players, Samir Nasri and Javi Garcia, fit for this game. It is very important for us.
"(Matija) Nastasic, Fernandinho and Aguero are not fit for this."
