Friday 18 December 2015 22:36, UK
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has dismissed the latest speculation linking Pep Guardiola with his job.
City are reportedly on alert after the highly-rated Bayern Munich boss suggested he could make an announcement about his future next week.
Stories linking City with the former Barcelona coach are not new - they even predate Pellegrini's appointment in 2013 - and the Chilean has never let them bother him.
Asked if he was worried, the 62-year-old said: "Absolutely not. I am not concerned about that. The only concern that I can have in my profession is to try and win the next game and to win the Premier League.
"That would be very successful, in three years, to win two Premier Leagues and be runner-up. Those are things that maybe I can worry about, not about speculation or rumour.
"I think Pep is one of the best coaches in the world so if he doesn't continue at Bayern, maybe a lot of teams can try to have him manage their team.
"In my case, I don't have any pressure about that. Maybe there are a lot of rumours - not only this season but going back to the other seasons - but the only pressure I feel is the pressure I put on myself to win.
"When you have experience and manage so many big clubs you know with every result that is not the result the club wants, the media will start with different rumours about different things, but if you are worried about that it's impossible to work in a big team."
Pellegrini's most immediate concern is the Monday Night Football trip to title rivals Arsenal.
City, in third, trail the Gunners by a point and Pellegrini recognises the importance of the match.
He said: "It is not a decisive game because after that we have to play 21 games more - a lot of points - but it is important to demonstrate who is the best team of the first round (of fixtures) and it is important to play against the team who is one point above our team. So, it is a very important game. It is a game of six points."
City hope to have star striker Sergio Aguero back at the Emirates Stadium after four games out with a heel injury.
I am not concerned about that. The only concern that I can have in my profession is to try and win the next game and to win the Premier League.
Pellegrini said: "Kun is working with the squad. We will assess if he is 100 per cent or not but he is working without problems. I think he will be in the squad."
Captain Vincent Kompany, who has been out for a month with a calf injury, is not yet ready to return but is back in light training.
Injuries are the only factor which could force City to change their plans not to buy in the January transfer window but Pellegrini has suggested this is unlikely.
City have been badly hit by injuries in recent weeks but Aguero's return leaves only Kompany, Fernando, Pablo Zabaleta and Samir Nasri on the sidelines.
Pellegrini said: "We will see in the right moment if we need someone to replace - maybe Nasri is the only player who has a long injury. All the other players I hope will recover in December. It is always an open window but we are not really, in this moment, considering that situation."
