Unrepentant Pellegrini praises Man City youngsters

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini praised his young players after their 5-1 defeat at Chelsea in the FA Cup.

Pellegrini fielded a vastly under-strength team, giving full debuts to five players in the fifth-round clash at Stamford Bridge.

And they caused some problems for Chelsea before the hosts scored four times in the second half to clinch a quarter-final place.

“In the first half we played very well and it was a very tight game,” Pellegrini said. “We played with six young players and I’m very happy with them.

“It is important for young players to take their chance when they play, and I was very happy with that.

“Unfortunately for us, in five minutes we threw away what we did and at 3-1 it was very difficult.

“It is never good to lose 5-1, so I am not so happy about that. But there were a lot of positives.”

Pellegrini, whose team play Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Wednesday, was unrepentant when asked about his team selection.

“I always take the best decision for the club,” he said.