Last Updated: Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:47
Manchester City star Nigel de Jong says the squad are all determined to well in the Europa League as it's another chance of a trophy.
The Dutchman claims the players will be doing everything in their power to overturn a 1-0 deficit in tonight's second leg tie with Sporting Lisbon at the Etihad Stadium, even though the Premier League remains their main priority.
De Jong has made his comments despite a suggestion that fans are concerned the extra workload in Europe could be harming their chances of clinching the title for the first time since 1968.
City lost top spot in the league to rivals Manchester United at the weekend after a surprise 1-0 defeat to Swansea and went into the clash at the Liberty Stadium without the services of skipper Vincent Kompany, after he picked up a calf injury during the first game in Lisbon.
Kompany is again set to miss out this evening, while fellow centre-back Joleon Lescott is unlikely to be risked having only just resumed full training.
However, de Jong is adamant that it's a competition the club still wants to win, having got a taste for silverware with last season's FA Cup success against the Potters.
He told reporters: "Our main target is to win a prize, and the main goal is the Premier League/ We still have a chance this season but we are also in the Europa League.
"We are still in two main competitions, which we want to win. The only way we can succeed is to win one of those prizes.
"After we won the FA Cup last season everyone is hungry for more and that has to be the ambition of this club - and it always has to be that way from last season onwards.
"You always go for the prizes and we will be very disappointed if, at the end of the day, we end up with no trophies."
The midfielder is also refusing to blame the demands of Europa League for the side's slip up to the Swans at the weekend, and actually thinks that result could end up working in their favour as a wake-up call.
De Jong added: "Obviously there's been a lot of travelling in the last couple of weeks but not only for us. A lot of teams in the Premier League are suffering from a lot of travelling, so that is not an excuse. We have to forget that - it's in the past and we have to concentrate on the next game against Sporting Lisbon.
"We had to go to Swansea and try to win, and we obviously weren't 100 per cent concentrating, so that is why we lost."
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