Mark Hughes is the latest Premier League boss to declare his club interested in aiming for 7^th place in the Premiership and European football via the Europa Cup.

 

Manchester City are still in the UEFA Cup and face German side Hamburg in the quarter-finals but the prospect of seventh in the Premiership being rewarded by a shot at UEFA’s new competition next season has given the former Blackburn boss something to aim for.

"It's more than a possibility," said Hughes "Obviously certain things need to happen with teams in the Champions League positions winning trophies just to drop down. We are probably a little bit too far away to get sixth position but certainly seventh is well within our grasp.”

City are lying in tenth but are only three points behind the club currently occupying the desired spot - north west rivals Wigan. With several key players all close to first team returns, Hughes remains optimistic that the likes of Sturridge, Johnson and Benjani can give the club the final push they need. "The introduction of fresh talent and fresh energy will be significant I'm sure. We have got eight Premier League games -we will try and win every one.”