Given injury puts rookie in firing line

Kolo Toure admits Manchester City will look to protect rookie goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen with the Faroe Islander looking set to be a key player in the final three games of the Barclays Premier League season.

City missed the chance to move back into fourth spot when they drew 0–0 at Arsenal on Saturday, but the result was overshadowed by the loss of Shay Given with a dislocated shoulder.

With regular number two Stuart Taylor recovering from knee surgery and not set to resume training until next week and Joe Hart on loan at Birmingham, Nielsen was handed an unexpected debut.

The 23–year–old – who had spells at Blackburn, Motherwell and Wrexham before moving to Eastlands on a free transfer last summer – looked solid enough during the closing 20 minutes, but was not really tested.

City skipper Toure, though, believes Nielsen has what it takes to cope with the pressure of the Premier League run-in.

Despite missing the chance to overtake Tottenham, who had lost at Manchester United earlier in the day, City closed the gap to a point with a rugged display.

But Roberto Mancini’s side was knocked down to sixth by Aston Villa, who have now played a match more, when Martin O’Neill’s side beat Birmingham 1–0 in their derby yesterday.

Manchester City are visited by Villa next Saturday, swiftly followed by what could be an all–or–nothing clash with Spurs at Eastlands on May 5.