Blues boss puzzled by Bridge stay

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has questioned Wayne Bridge's motives for remaining with the Blues.

Loaned out to West Ham for the second–half of last season, Mancini made it clear Bridge had no future with City. Yet the 31–year–old opted to stick it out at the Etihad Stadium, with no club willing to match the reported £90,000 weekly salary he presently collects.

This season, Bridge has only been called on once, for the Carling Cup tie against Birmingham in September. He has fallen so far down the pecking order there was not even a chance of a place on the bench for Sunday's win over Arsenal, despite Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov being ruled out.

"I don't understand why there are some players that have a chance to go and play, maybe not in the Premier League but in the Championship, and don't," said Mancini, ahead of tonight's Premier League encounter at home to Stoke.

"I don't know why you would want to stay at a club where you can't play. I hope, for him, he leaves in January because it's difficult for a player to stay training every day."