Manchester City vs Roma preview - Hart: I want to play every game

Posted Tuesday, September 30, 2014 by PA

Joe Hart has admitted he finds it "hard to see the positives" of being rested and said he is relishing the challenge of fighting for his place.

The England goalkeeper was replaced by summer signing Willy Caballero for Manchester City's 4-2 win at Hull at the weekend, but is set to be recalled for the visit of Roma in the Champions League group stage match on Tuesday.

Hart said last week he was in the dark over a new contract with City - his current deal has just under two years left to run - but insists he wants to stay at the club for as long as he is welcome.

The 27-year-old was dropped last season after run of errors, but reclaimed his place, and conceded he found it difficult to see any positives from being rested.

Hart told a news conference: "It is hard for me to see it that way. I am sure when I retire from football I will see them, but right now I am not going to see them.

"Of course I want to play every game, that is my nature, my professionalism. I am not the manager, just a player. I live by the decisions of the manager.

"We have always had good goalkeepers, David James, (Andreas) Isaksson, Kasper (Schmeichel), (Costel) Pantilimon, it has always been a fight for me to keep my place and that will continue, but I have always had high standards that I will keep to, whether there is one goalkeeper or 20. I love the challenge."

Neither Hart nor Manuel Pellegrini would be drawn on his contract situation, however, with the City manager stating: "Me and Joe know what happen with that issue. It is important but not the most important thing in this moment."

City's opponents Roma have begun the season in breathtaking form, winning all five of their matches in Serie A and thrashing Champions League group rivals CSKA Moscow 5-1.

That heaps the pressure on City to get a win, especially after Pellegrini's side conceded a last-minute winner to Bayern Munich in their opening European match.

Pellegrini pointed out that City lost their opening group match last season, also against Bayern, but went on to win all the other five and qualify from the group.

He said: "It is normal pressure. Remember last year we start here against Bayern at home and we lost at home. Maybe that is more pressure. But we lost the first game and won the other five games."

Stefan Jovetic is back in the City squad after recovering from a hamstring injury but Fernando and Samir Nasri miss out.

The match at the Etihad will see Hart come up against his former England team-mate Ashley Cole, who moved from Chelsea to Italy in the summer.

The 33-year-old full back said he is looking forward to meeting a number of former England colleagues - especially Frank Lampard.

Cole never expected to come up against his old Chelsea team-mate after the pair left Stamford Bridge this summer.

But with Lampard enjoying a loan spell at the Etihad from New York City FC - which has seen him score four goals in the last week - chance has thrown them back together.

"It will be great to play against people like Joe Hart and Lamps - I never expected to play against him. If I am selected and Lamps is selected it would be nice," he said.

"I don't think Chelsea were wrong (to let us go) - a decision was made, I'm fine with it. I had eight great years there and I am really enjoying a new challenge."