Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 9y

Man City wait on Yaya Toure, Wilfried Bony ANC fate with Ivory Coast

Manchester City are waiting to see if Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony are able to make earlier-than-expected returns from Africa to figure in Saturday's crucial match against Chelsea.

The Premier League champions were planning to be without their vice-captain and their new signing for another two weeks.

But Ivory Coast could be knocked out of the African Nations Cup, which ends on Feb. 8, on Wednesday when they meet Cameroon on Wednesday.

The Elephants were among the favourites for the tournament but, after two 1-1 draws, are one of four teams tied on two points in Group D.

With only the top two going through, defeat would mean elimination which could allow Bony, who was the Premier League's 20-goal top scorer in 2014, to make his debut after his 25 million-pound signing from Swansea.

City have lost their last two games without scoring, whereas Toure has six goals in his last nine games for the club.

Arsenal and been knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough.">

The English title holders have not won a Premier League match in his absence since April, but Toure's fellow midfielder Fernandinho insisted they can cope in his absence.

"Yaya is a great player and it would be foolish to say we don't miss him," Fernandinho told reporters. "But at this club we have many great players. We have others who can play in his position and do a great job as well.

"Whether it's me, Frank [Lampard], Fernando, James Milner or whoever, it doesn't matter. We don't depend on one player to be at our best. We are a strong team that has coped without certain players before and we will do it again.

"I think the best we played [without Toure] was the 2-0 win away in Roma. And Frank is a pleasure to play and train with. He's been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League history and it's been fascinating to watch him in training.

"His positioning and his knack of arriving in the box at the perfect time is uncanny. He has an instinct that only a few players have and he uses it so well. There is a lot all of us can learn from Frank and we are just enjoying having him as part of our team."

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