Manchester City star Robinho is likely to miss Thursday's trip to Germany as he races to be fully fit for Sunday's derby against Manchester United.
City's Brazilian magician, who took his tally for the season to nine goals with a sumptuous chip against Arsenal at the weekend, limped out of that game near the end and still has a swollen ankle.
He is unlikely to be risked given the busy schedul
e ahead of the Blues, who face Paris St Germain three days after hosting United.
"The medical staff will have another look at Robinho before we leave but if his ankle is as sore as it was yesterday then he definitely will not travel," reported boss Mark Hughes.
Robinho has made it clear that winning the Uefa Cup is his big target for the season.
And he knows that three points on Thursday night in a packed VELTINS-Arena will all but secure the Blues a place in the knockout stages with two Group A games still to go.
"We can win the Uefa Cup, it is one of our targets," insisted the £32m man," he said.
"We know we are a side that is developing and growing but we also know we are capable of great things when we play well. We have shown that in many games.
"The rest of the players and me admire the ambitions of the owners of this club. We all want to strive to make City one of the best in the world. I want to stay here for many years and make history. Doing well in the Uefa Cup would be a great way to start.
"As for the derby, I enjoy playing in the big matches, of course I do. The Madrid against Barcelona games were great to play in but classics are classics in any country.
"The Manchester derby is a huge game and I hope we win because I know how important it is to our supporters."
The full article contains 337 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
