Mancini: Hart jersey not safe

Mancini: Hart jersey not safe

Published Nov. 17, 2012 7:15 a.m. ET

Manchester City Roberto Mancini has warned keeper Joe Hart that he is not afraid to drop him if his form wobbles.

The 25-year-old has been described as the world's best after a string of impressive displays for club and country.

But he has come under-fire recently with City leaking goals in the Premier League and Champions League, and also for England after an indifferent showing helped a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired Sweden to a 4-2 win in midweek.

Mancini said: "For me he is the first choice but if he does not play well I change. I don't have any problem.

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"Joe is like Mario Balotelli, like all the other players. For England I think it will be the same. If he does not play well maybe the manager can change the keeper.

"Costel Pantilimon is a good keeper and if Joe does not play well for five or six games, probably I can change the keeper. This is normal.

"But I trust totally in Joe, for me he is the best keeper in England. I am sure he can do some mistakes sometimes, this is a keeper's life.

"If a keeper does a mistake, you concede a goal and you lose. If the striker doesn't score a goal the game can finish 0-0.

"Ibrahimovic can score against every keeper. Ibrahimovic for me is one of the top five strikers in the world."

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