Stevan Jovetic Dropped From Manchester City Champions League Squad

Speculation ran rampant as to which of Manchester City's non-home grown players would be dropped for the remainder of the team's Champions League campaign. That speculation has been settled, as City have decided to drop forward Stevan Jovetic ahead of their round of 16 tie with Barcelona.

As confirmed by UEFA, City dropped the Montenegrin Messi, deciding to keep Edin Dzeko and the newly signed Wilfried Bony in the team up front instead. During this Champions League campaign, Jovetic appeared in five games and failed to notch a goal.

The decision is curious to some, given that Dzeko has also struggled in all competitions this season (he also has zero goals in five Champions League appearances this season), and doesn't provide the same versatility that Jovetic does in his ability to play behind Sergio Aguero. Furthermore, the decision to drop Jovetic out of the squad while keeping Dzeko in it may be an indictment of the club's feelings towards the two players, as the team may look to offload a striker after this season.

Among the other players rumored to be considered for the chopping block were Bacary Sagna, Aleksandar Kolarov, and backup keeper Willy Caballero.

For a full list of Champions League squad updates, UEFA's got you covered.