Dzeko not happy with 'super-sub' tag

Dzeko is City's leading scorer with six goals this season but four of those goals have come from the bench including two in the 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion.

The Bosnia international was introduced with 11 minutes remaining and within 60 seconds had equalised before converting an injury-time pass from Sergio Aguero for the winner.

Platt confirmed Dzeko's match-changing contribution had put him in contention to start Wednesday's (Thursday AEDT) UEFA Champions League encounter with Ajax.

Dzeko, who also scored the winner at Fulham as a substitute, said: "The manager (Roberto Mancini) is there to pick the team and I'm there when the team needs me.

"But I was never a super-sub even before I came to Manchester City.

"I always used to play from the beginning (for Wolfsburg) and I scored a lot of goals - not as a sub.

"In the last few games the situation has been like this and I'm just happy to be scoring goals.

"But I will never be a super-sub, I want to play."

Platt said: "Edin won't have that tag (super-sub) either because he will get his starts like every other player will get their starts.

"We've got 24 players, four of them are on the treatment table, so we had a squad of 20 to pick from.

"Edin came on and got his two goals and has put himself firmly in the manager's thoughts for Wednesday night (against Ajax).

"But we will pick a team on what we think is right for Ajax and the one after that."

Platt was pleased with the reaction of Dzeko to not starting the game.

He said: "Edin has been in superb form, not just goalscoring wise, and towards the end of last season he was coming off the bench and doing well.

"But when he has started he has done very well, as well. He is a top, top player.

"People should be disappointed when they are not in the team but the reaction you want when they come on is that they fight for their team and they have all done well."

City defender Joleon Lescott continued his boycott of Kick It Out at The Hawthorns by not wearing the T-shirt although his club's official day in support of the campaign takes place at home to Swansea next weekend.

Several City players did wear Kick It Out shirts which were borrowed from Albion whose players were wearing West Brom Foundation T-Shirts in support of their local charity.

Lescott has not worn a shirt for the past three years since Newcastle's Emre Belozoglu escaped punishment for allegedly racially abusing Everton's Joseph Yobo during a game in December 2006.

The Baggies surrendered their 100 per cent home record after Shane Long had broken the deadlock mid-way through the second period.

But manager Steve Clarke took plenty of encouragement from his side's performance even though the sending off of City's James Milner for a professional foul after 23 minutes aided their cause.

Clarke said: "You have to credit Man City. They showed why they are champions.

"They showed when they went down to 10 men that they are champions for a reason. Their performance with 10 men was excellent.

"But we acquitted ourselves very well against them, showed again that we are a good team who can give anyone a game.

"Their second goal on the break comes as a consequence of the fact we were so desperate to win.

"We went for the winner. It is admirable in one way and disappointing it didn't work out for us.

"But that's the way we play. Maybe it was a bad decision to go chasing the winner rather than settling for a point.

"But we want to win. It's a mindset and characteristic we have got here and we are trying to put into the players."