Manchester City need Adebayor fit & firing - Mark Bowen

By Zack Wilson

Manchester City assistant manager Mark Bowen has acknowledged that the sooner Emmanuel Adebayor is back to his imperious best the better it will be for the club.

Adebayor was an impressive part of City's flying start to the season, but his absence with injury has coincided with a slight slump in form that has seen them record a run of draws.

"It's been difficult for him," Bowen said, according to The Manchester Evening News.

"'Ade' was flying at the start of the season, for the first four or five games, and then had a suspension and an international break, which meant he missed a few games.

"He has also had a few niggling little injuries, so hasn't had a lot of actual day-to-day training. We work on intensity when we train outside, and he has missed that.

"His last couple of games have been about trying to patch him up and sling him back on to the field of play.

"He is really positive when he goes out there but it's not the same when you have missed training days. It has affected him going into games - he has had a mental thing about maybe not being 100 per cent.

"But this week he seems to be pain-free and hopefully will be 100 per cent for the weekend."