MANCHESTER -- Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart admits he is frustrated at being omitted from the starting lineup for the last two games and says he sees no positives in Manuel Pellegrini's squad rotation policy.
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Hart, 27, was replaced in goal by summer signing Willy Caballero for the 7-0 Capital One Cup thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday and Saturday's 4-2 Premier League win at Hull, but the England international is in line to return against Roma in Tuesday's Champions League clash.
Hart was not one of six players handed new long-term contracts at the Etihad Stadium this summer, but the England No.1 says he is keen to extend his stay with the Premier League champions beyond his current deal, which expires in 2016.
#INSERT type:image caption:Hart says that he sees few positives from spending time on the Manchester City bench. END#
"Of course I want to play every game: that is my nature, my professionalism. But I am not the manager, just a player and I live by the decisions of the manager," Hart told a press conference.
Hart could be fresher for the Roma game but conceded he saw few benefits from spending a couple of games on the sidelines.
"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," he added.
Despite his disappointment at spending time on the bench, Hart insisted he hopes to remain a City player for many years to come.
"While I am welcome here, I am more than happy to stay here and see where that takes me," he explained.
#INSERT type:image caption:Caballero is the latest goalkeeper attempting to displace Hart as Manchester City's No.1. END#
Caballero was Pellegrini's first-choice goalkeeper at Malaga but Hart claimed he is excited by the competition for places and believes he has spent his entire City career competing with quality players.
"We have always had good goalkeepers since I have been here, going back to David James, [Andreas] Isaksson, Kasper [Schmeichel], Shay Given, [Costel] Pantilimon [and] Stuart Taylor," he said.
"It has always been a fight for me to keep my place and that will continue but I have got high standards that I like to keep to, whether I am the only goalkeeper or one of 20.
"It excites me. I love challenging for my place and I love playing and that will never change. I will continue fighting."
Manager Pellegrini deflected talk of giving Hart a new contract, saying: "Me and Joe know what [will] happen with that issue. It is important but not the most important thing in this moment."