MANCHESTER -- Manuel Pellegrini has urged Manchester City to sign Martin Demichelis to a new contract and keep his long-term ally at the Etihad Stadium.
Veteran defender Demichelis, 33, is out of contract in the summer and can discuss a free transfer to foreign clubs from the start of January.
Pellegrini, who managed the Argentine during his time at River Plate and Malaga, brought him to City in 2013 for 4 million pounds and is keen to keep the former Bayern Munich defender.
"He will finish his contract at the end of the season," Pellegrini said in a news conference. "I think he's a very important player for us and I hope that he will start soon his talks about a new contract. And that they will conclude in the right way."
Demichelis has made 58 appearances for City and was captain Vincent Kompany's regular central-defensive partner as they won the Premier League title last season.
Pellegrini defended his decision to omit Yaya Toure from the squad for the 2-2 draw with Burnley on Sunday, when he claimed the midfielder was injured.
Toure subsequently said on Twitter that he had only been rested and Pellegrini claimed fatigue formed part of his decision after City played West Bromwich Albion 48 days earlier.
He said: "I chose the players who I felt had best recovered. If you remember last year I did exactly the same. Yaya didn't play on 28th and I changed seven or eight players for the game [on the 28th last year]. This year I also changed the most amount of players."
Toure is back in the squad to face Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on New Year's Day, when City will be without Kompany, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko.