Reports: Manchester City to drop Joe Hart

Telegraph Sport are reporting that Joe Hart is set to be axed byManchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini for this weekend’s game withNorwich City, following his mistake in last Saturday’s defeat to Chelsea.Costel Pantilimon came into the City side for their midweek Capital One Cup game with Newcastle United and impressed with a string of saves, including a particularly impressive one on one save in extra time.

Pellegrini refused to be drawn on who would play in goal, telling his press conference that they would find out when he names his starting line up.

“Tomorrow you will know. It is a decision I have to take every week with the 22 players.”

While Hart was replaced by Pantilimon for the midweek Capital One Cup fixture, he was likely to have been rested for that game anyway. On how Hart took sitting out the Newcastle game Pellegrini said:

“You must ask Joe. I can’t answer for him how disappointed [he was]. All of you and the players and me saw what happened but he is a football player and every week he is in the same pressure.”

If he is to be dropped for this weekend’s Premier League game, it is likely to sting a bit more than missing a league cup game. Hart has had been subjected to a lot of criticism in recent months, and losing his place in his club side would be the England keeper’s worst possible preparation for next summer’s World Cup.