Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 8y

Joe Hart could play for Man City vs. Steuau Bucharest - Pep Guardiola

MANCHESTER, England -- Joe Hart could be recalled to Manchester City's starting line-up to face Steaua Bucharest, but Pep Guardiola refused to disclose whether it would be his last appearance for the club.

The England international goalkeeper has been left on the bench for the opening three games of the season with Willy Caballero preferred.

City are closing in on a £17 million deal for Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo and Guardiola says he will allow Hart to leave if he wants to go.

England manager Sam Allardyce says it is "critical" that Hart is playing first-team football in the long-term but Guardiola could not confirm if the club has received an offer for him despite links with Everton and Sevilla.

Asked if there had been any enquiries for Hart, he told a news conference: "I don't know. I don't know about negotiations. I'm not able to speak about what's going on.

"Yes, he has a chance to play tomorrow. I don't know [if it will be Hart's last game for City].

"Until Aug. 31, all the players here are my players, and I will work with them like there is no end, so after that we can speak about everything.

"The situation with Joe I spoke about in the last two press conferences. I am not able to speak about negotiations."

Guardiola also denied there was a rift with Hart and insisted he has worked hard in training.

"I have an excellent relationship with Joe," he added. "He is clear with me and me with him. We spoke about football.

"He has a chance to play, the same as Angus [Gunn] and Willy and the other ones."

Yaya Toure, who has been left out of the 18-man squad altogether for the first three games, is also in the frame to play against Steaua with Guardiola set to make changes due to his side having a 5-0 advantage from the first leg in Romania.

Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan are back in training but are ineligible after being left out of the Champions League squad for the playoff round but new signing Leroy Sane could make his debut after returning from a hamstring injury.

Guardiola said: "We had tough games in the last week because Sunderland was a tough game until the last minute, then people think Steaua Bucharest was easy but it wasn't because of the travel and everything.

"You know better than me what it means to go to Stoke City away and play there against them. Tomorrow I will make some rotations, I don't know how many. They deserve to play and I am so confident about all the players."

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