Classic Times Fantasy Football is back. Sign up for £3 a team or 3 for £6

There was relief at Manchester City yesterday with the news that Micah Richards will not face a long stint on the sidelines after being knocked unconscious during the 3-0 win at home to West Ham United at the weekend.

Richards was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary on Sunday after an accidental clash of heads with Tal Ben-Haim left him out cold for seven minutes, but a scan revealed no lasting damage and the England defender could be available for the Barclays Premier League game away to Sunderland on Sunday.

He is unlikely to feature in the second leg of City’s Uefa Cup second qualifying round tie against FC Midtjylland in Denmark on Thursday, but, having feared that the player could be ruled out for some time, his recovery is a boost for Mark Hughes, the City manager, and Fabio Capello, with England’s World Cup qualifying campaign starting on Saturday week against Andorra in Barcelona.

Now there are TWO ways to feed your fantasy

We have built on last year's success of PlayTheGame by offering fantasy football managers double the fun this coming season

Multimedia

• Chelsea: On-the-job training

• Man United: You've been merked, Capello

• Reading: Is Lita's yesterday's man?

Related Links

• Richards sent to hospital after collision

• Richards puts case for senior recall

The week could bring further uplifting news for City, with an Arab con-sortium expected to buy a significant minority stake, which would help to ease the club’s cashflow problem, and with Hughes confident of overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Midtjylland and bolstering his squad.

Diego Milito, the Real Zaragoza striker, is believed to interest Hughes, but one player whose days at City are numbered is Nery Castillo. The Mexico forward joined City on loan in January in a deal the player partly financed, but he is expected to return to Shakhtar Donetsk before joining Real Betis in Spain after an unsuccessful spell that was hampered by injury.

City were last night reported to have entered a £10 million bid for Shuan Wright-Phillips, the winger who is also the subject of interest from Everton. Chelsea are willing to accept an £11 million loss on the player.