Team News: Joe Hart starts for Manchester City against Steaua despite rumours of exit

Joe 'head and shoulders' Hart applauds supporters during the Champions League quarter-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City on April 6, 2016
© Getty Images
Joe Hart starts for Manchester City in tonight's Champions League playoff second leg against Steaua Bucuresti, despite speculation over his future.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given Joe Hart a starting spot for tonight's Champions League playoff second leg against Steaua Bucuresti, despite speculation over his future.

The England international's fate at the Etihad Stadium looks bleak given that Claudio Bravo is believed to be on the verge of joining the club from Barcelona.

In addition, Hart did not start City's first three games of the campaign as Guardiola preferred Wilfredo Caballero.

The North-West outfit can afford to leave the likes of Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling on the bench given that they have a 5-0 advantage from the first leg in Romania.

Including the goalkeeper switch, Guardiola has made eight changes to the team that played in the first leg, Pablo Maffeo and Gael Clichy coming into the defence.

Pablo Zabaleta and Nicolas Otamendi sit out, while Fernando, Yaya Toure, Fabian Delph and Jesus Navas come into the fold, replacing Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Sterling.

Kelechi Iheanacho will lead the attacking line instead of Aguero, who has been given a spot on the substitutes bench.

Manchester City: Hart; Maffeo, Stones, Kolarov, Clichy; Fernando, Toure; Delph, Nolito, Navas; Iheanacho
Subs: Gunn, Adarabioyo, Angelino, Fernandinho, Aguero, Sterling, Silva

Steaua Bucuresti: Cojocaru, Mitrea, Tamas, Hamroun, Tudorie, Muniru Sulley, Momčilović, Aganović, Popescu, Enache

Follow Sports Mole's live commentary of the match here.

England's goalkeeper Joe Hart reacts after England lost 1-2 to Iceland in the Euro 2016 round of 16 football match between England and Iceland at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice on June 27, 2016
Read Next:
Joe Hart 'to start for Man City against Steaua'
>

CountryGoldGSilverSBronzeBTotal
1 ChinaChina504028118
2 Great BritainGreat Britain28161963
3 UkraineUkraine22192061
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City4400114712
2Chelsea431094510
3Everton431072510
4Manchester UnitedMan Utd43017349
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs42207258
6Liverpool42119727
7Arsenal42118627
8Hull City42115327
9Middlesbrough41214405
10Watford411278-14
11Crystal Palace411234-14
12West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom411223-14
13Swansea CitySwansea411246-24
14Bournemouth411235-24
15Burnley411235-24
16Leicester CityLeicester411247-34
17West Ham UnitedWest Ham410359-43
18Southampton402236-32
19Sunderland401338-51
20Stoke CityStoke4013210-81