With a star-studded squad at his disposal, Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has had little to complain about since taking over at the Etihad helm last summer. City are arguably as strong as any Premier League club in every position on the pitch, with an abundance of world-class footballers ploughing their trade in the blue half of Manchester. With a squad as powerful as Citys, Pellegrini has a tough job to keep everyone content, with at least 2 players competing for each starting position. But not every player in Citys vast squad is absolutely essential to the Chileans trophy charge, with the club having several 'fringe' players (who perform little or no function in the first team) on their books. Heres a look at 5 of them who Pellegrini should consider letting go...
5. Joleon Lescott
Speculation has been rife surrounding Lescotts future at City, with West Ham reportedly interested in acquiring the Englishman's services during this months transfer window. Despite the recurring defensive injuries this season, City fans shouldnt be too worried about letting Lescott go - the 31-year-old has struggled to match the excellent form that helped guide City to the title two seasons ago, and has subsequently lost his regular place in City's starting XI, becoming something of a backup player both this season and last. Once a top defender, Lescott now seems tentative and unsure - especially when on the ball, and lacks one of the most important attributes of a Premier League player pace. Pellegrini is clearly not convinced by Lescott, hence the regular rotation at centre-back for the Blues this season in which Javi Garcia, a midfielder, has been regularly deployed in defence. With skipper Vincent Kompany now back to full fitness, and with Martin Demichelis, Matija Nastasic, and bright young prospect Dedryck Boyata to choose from to partner him, is Lescott really needed at the Etihad?