QPR vs Manchester City

Forgotten man Joleon Lescott will answer Manchester City’s defensive SOS against QPR tonight.
Lescott has spent most of the season on the margins, but will take centre stage tonight when he could be City’s only available senior centre-half.
Vincent Kompany is out with his calf injury, Kolo Toure is at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Matija Nastasic is struggling with a knee ligament injury.
Lescott has not moaned about being restricted to just eight Premier League starts because Roberto Mancini has preferred Nastasic and coach David Platt is delighted by his professionalism.
“I’m impressed with his attitude, but then I would not have expected anything else from him,” said Platt.
“He is an extremely good professional. Never once, since I came here two-and-a-half years ago, from being an ever-present to sometimes finding himself on the bench, have his training levels gone down.”
Platt claims Nastasic could recover to play alongside Lescott and says Mancini would have no worries about playing rookie defender Karim Rekik if the Serb misses out.

Kompany man: City are concerned by their captain's calf injury

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Rekik, 18, has only played one Premier League game for City against Reading last month and City have big hopes for the Dutchman.
“We’ve also got Karim Rekik,” said Platt. “He’s in the running for tomorrow.
“We would have no qualms about sticking him in and he was on the bench on Saturday against Stoke.”
Platt admits City are worried by Kompany’s latest calf problem, even though the Belgian international could be back for Sunday’s clash with Liverpool.
“It’s a concern that it’s not a fresh injury,” he said. “The calf is the strangest muscle and there is probably more more re-occurrence than with hamstrings, groins and things like that.
“It has happened on a couple of occasions so the concern is to make sure we clear the problem and that is what we will be working through.”
City have won their last six games and Platt claims their form is “more satisfying” than last season when they steamrollered the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham on the road.
He feels City have shown more control in games, even though they are five points behind Manchester United in the title race.

Young hope: Rekik could be called into action

PA

 “I don’t know how many times we reached the heights last season,” he said. “There is a perception we did so on a regular basis because we went to Old Trafford and won 6-1, and to White Hart Lane and won 5-1.
“We probably haven’t hit those heights, but they are a little bit false anyhow. They give you a false perception.
“The control we have had over our performances in the last couple of months has been more satisfying.
“We have been going into games with a belief that we will do something, and no more so than at the weekend against Stoke.
“I have read about it being a dour game, but I thought we were controlled.
“We have been to Stoke before and there has been a worry, but I never felt that on Saturday, even at 0-0, I never felt that we wouldn’t win the match.”