Even though there were intense rumours linking Edin Dzeko with a move out of the Etihad Stadium during the summer, few people would argue that the Bosnian has been one of the most influential players at City this season. Following on from the impressive start he has made, the player has stated that he doesn’t want to be a “super sub” and instead wants to establish himself as a regular in Roberto Mancini’s starting eleven.

Dzeko has been one of the most lethal strikers in the top flight this term, with his five goals all being of great significance club. As well as this, he has managed a further eleven goals in competitions for both club and country and this means that his reputation is soaring. However, while the goals have been flooding, Dzeko has made a lot of appearances from the bench and this is something that he wants to change. Speaking to the media after he made another sterling impact from the bench with two goals against West Brom on Saturday, he said, “The manager is there to pick the team and I’m there when the team needs me, but I was never a super sub, even before I came to Manchester City. I always used to play from the beginning [for Wolfsburg] and I scored a lot of goals, not as a sub. In the last few games the situation has been like this and I’m just happy to be scoring goals but I will never be a super sub, I want to play.”

After playing such a huge part in the victory over Saturday, there are big suspicions that Dzeko could be handed a more prominent role in the Champions League game against Ajax on Wednesday. Assistant David Platt indicated that he has given himself a very good chance of starting, so it remains to be seen if he can make such an impact from a starting place.