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Toure makes surprise start for City

By AFP
Africa Manchester City's Ivorian midfielder and captain Yaya Toure warms up ahead of the UEFA Champions League match against Steaua Bucharest at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on August 24, 2016.  By Oli Scarff AFPFile
NOV 19, 2016 LISTEN
Manchester City's Ivorian midfielder and captain Yaya Toure warms up ahead of the UEFA Champions League match against Steaua Bucharest at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on August 24, 2016. By Oli Scarff (AFP/File)

London (AFP) - Yaya Toure was set to make his first Premier League appearance for Manchester City this season after the Ivory Coast midfielder was surprisingly named in the starting line-up at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Out-of-favour Toure's only previous appearance since Pep Guardiola's appointment as City manager came in a Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest in August.

Toure's return to the team comes shortly after he apologised to Guardiola for "misunderstandings of the past".

His agent Dimitri Seluk had been critical of Guardiola, accusing him of "humiliating" Toure by omitting him from City's Champions League group stage squad.

Toure was also sold by Barcelona to City when Guardiola was manager of the Spanish club.

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