However, it is believed that, Blues boss, Mark Hughes was considering omitting the striker anyway, with the 25-year-old having failed to net in any of his last 13 outings.
And rumours abound that Hughes may even be prepared to listen to offers for Robinho this summer, with the former Real Madrid marksman failing to justify his hefty price tag, especially away from Eastlands where he has scored only twice this campaign.
“We still feel that until the end of the season, he will be important for us," Hughes said.
“Robbie is a player of great quality and we have to find a way of getting the best out of him, particularly away from home as it’s patently obvious that we aren’t doing that.”
Should Robinho be left out for the Emirates Stadium encounter, Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov could be set for a long-awaited return from injury.
The former Atletico Madrid man has not featured since October in City's 3-2 home defeat to Liverpool
CITY FANS! Check FourFourTwo.com’s ever-expandinginterviews archivefor more stuff to read:
One on One Sven Goran Eriksson
Web Exclusives Joe Corrigan
Q&A Robinho
Boy's A Bit Special Michael Johnson
Ask A Silly Question Peter Reid, Alan Ball
What Happened Next? Jim Whitley, Tony Cunningham
Sing When You’re Winning David Threlfall
Plus Joe Corrigan on Weekend Wonders and City on Talentspotter
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
