With Euro 2012 just around the corner, the media spotlight has turned to the international scene.

After a midweek training session at The Etihad Stadium, England travel to Norway for Roy Hodgson’s first game as national coach. The BBC report that the England team will not feature City keeper Joe Hart as the new manager takes an opportunity to look at backup stopper Rob Green.

In other international news, David Silva’s Spain take on Aleksandar Kolarov’s Serbia with Inside Futbol reporting that Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque has been drawing comparisons between Silva and Lionel Messi. Such high praise has not been lost on the City playmaker who takes great confidence from the comment saying,

This helps me to work and continue to work on my style of play for the national team. I want to add my contribution to help build the Roja

...David Silva...

Back on the domestic scene, The Telegraph report that former City midfielder Joey Barton will not be contesting the 12 game ban he picked up for his final day sending off at The Etihad.

With news of the usual City transfer 'targets' being recycled on a daily basis, Sporting Life report that manager Roberto Mancini has been talking to Italian TV station Antenna Tre about his recent visit to Milan. Mancini rejects the notion that the visit was connected to any impending transfer explaining,

"Galliani invited me, he congratulated me on winning the Premier League. I was there for 10 minutes but we did not talk about anything, it was just a courtesy visit."