Petrov unhappy with life on City bench

Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov has again expressed his unhappiness at being left on the subs’ bench by Manchester City manager Mark Hughes.

Petrov scored against West Ham in the Premier League last week and set up Carlos Tevez’s goal but he was an unused substitute in City’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Monday.

“I wanted to save my energy to win some jitball matches during Bulgaria training sessions,” Petrov said sarcastically to explain why he did not play against Villa.

Petrov, who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2007, ran to the bench to celebrate his goal by pointing to his shirt and number.

“No, I didn’t do it for him (Hughes). I did it for my wife because she forgot my number”, Petrov told reporters yesterday at the Vasil Levski national stadium, hinting at his limited opportunities at City.

Petrov is preparing for the Balkan country’s last two World Cup qualifiers against Cyprus and Georgia on Oct. 10 and 14.

He started last season well but has not been a regular for City since suffering a serious knee injury last October.

Petrov, 30, was poised to join Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the transfer window but the move broke down.