Goalkeeper Willy Caballero insists he did not join Manchester City to sit on the bench - and has warned Joe Hart he will fight for the number one spot at the Etihad Stadium this season.
Hart was dropped by Manuel Pellegrini last autumn following a string of high-profile errors, but later recalled, and was an unused substitute for the 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday.
Read more: Goalkeeper Joe Hart will have to fight for starting spot at Manchester City
Afterwards, the City boss refused to offer any guarantees over places, and Caballero, who was first-choice goalkeeper when working with Pellegrini at Malaga, maintains he has his sights set firmly on a regular starting place.
“My ambition is to fight for the position and to be there when the manager needs me,” said the 32-year-old from Argentina.
“I want to be number one.”
He added of the selection battle: “Both of us will train for that chance, but I came to fight for the number one spot.”
Caballero was unable to prevent Arsenal recording a convincing victory, beaten by well-worked goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey before second-half substitute Olivier Giroud cracked in a third from 25 yards.
“It was an important match for me. I have a chance to play. I am happy for this, but not for the score,” Caballero said.
“I have been training well, but there is no doubt that this was not one of my best games - they attacked three or four times and they scored three goals.
“However, the decision (about who plays) is for the manager.”
City completed the £32million signing of defender Eliaquim Mangala from Porto on Monday. He joins fellow summer recruits Fernando and Bacary Sagna, signed on a free from Arsenal, as well as Chelsea’s former England midfielder Frank Lampard, loaned from New York City FC.
Caballero is in no doubt the champions, without several regulars at Wembley, will be a force to be reckoned with again next season.
“We have a strong team, we are the Premier League champions, with very good players, but we have things we need to prove,” he said.
“Manuel has told all of us that we need to learn game by game, that we have to start the league well, that we have to achieve the most important things in the short term.
“We have to do what we did last year, to win the league.
“We were the best team in the Premier League, (but) we have to improve in the Champions League and we have a good squad to do that.”
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Fernando Jara (jockey), Irfan Ellahi (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,400m
Winner: Yaalail, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Fernando Jara, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2.200m
Winner: Ezz Al Rawasi, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
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If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qais Aboud
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Almahroosa, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Sumoud, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Adventurous, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
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