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Former United captain Gary Neville has suggested City should drop Yaya Toure after the performances of Fernando and Fernandinho in Wednesday night's Roma win.

The Brazilian pair were superb as City rallied against the odds to qualify for the Champions League last 16 in the Eternal City with a 2-0 victory.

Both of the Blues' group stage wins came without the usually talismanic Toure, who was suspended against Roma and Bayern Munich, and Neville said on Sky Sports his absence aided Manuel Pellegrini's side.

"When Yaya Toure plays he's a game-changer and a goalscorer, but his defensive play can be easily played around - we've seen that in the Premier League and in European games," Neville remarked.

"Tonight for the first time we've seen City play as a pair in midfield. In terms of moving forward that might be a template of how to play in Europe - it's a question for Manuel Pellegrini.

"If City play their best Premier League team - that's (Sergio) Aguero and (Edin) Dzeko up front, (David) Silva and (Samir) Nasri out wide, and Toure as part of the midfield - you cannot play that way in Europe because Nasri and Silva do not play defensively.

"What (James) Milner and (Jesus) Navas have given them tonight in wide positions is legs to attach themselves to the two in midfield (Fernandinho and Fernando).

"If you lose the battle in central midfield you will struggle - this is the template city need to use going forward.

"If you play your best players, you don't necessarily play your best team.

"You don't necessarily leave them all out, but you can’t fit them all in. If you go away to Barcelona you can’t play with Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Aguero and Toure in the same side."

The £12m summer arrival of Fernando appeared to signal a shift in system for City, with Toure playing behind Aguero and in front of two holding midfielders.

However, Pellegrini has named Toure, Fernando and Fernandinho in the starting line-up just once - away at Queens Park Rangers.

Toure's absence allowed Nasri to thrive in a playmaking role and the Frenchman's belting opener set City on their way to a famous victory in Rome.