Milner looks forward to recovery time after FA Cup win

Manchester City midfielder-turned-striker James Milner intends to use a few days to recharge before the title quest resumes at the weekend.

Milner spared City's blushes at the end of their festive programme by striking twice to edge out battling Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup third round.

City toiled against the Sky Bet Championship side at the Etihad Stadium, needing Milner's second-half double, which included an injury-time winner, to scrape through 2-1.

It brought the busy Christmas spell, which saw City pull level with Chelsea at the top of the Barclays Premier League, to a successful conclusion and left them looking ahead with plenty of optimism.

There was the blemish of a 2-2 draw with Burnley on December 28, but City are still unbeaten in 13 and in good shape for a tough month that culminates with a trip to Stamford Bridge.

They return to league action with a trip to Everton on Saturday and then host Arsenal the following week.

Injuries to strikers Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic saw midfielder Milner pressed into action as a makeshift centre-forward in December.

Jovetic is now back in action but so ineffective were City in the first half against the Owls that Milner was pushed back up front after the break.

He responded on what was his 29th birthday by cancelling out Adthe Nuhiu's 14th-minute strike after 65 minutes, although it also needed the double introduction of Samir Nasri and David Silva to spark City into life.

Wednesday remained well organised and went close to securing a replay but Milner was in the right place in the first minute of injury time to turn in a Jesus Navas cross.

City had been expected to cruise through against opponents they thrashed 7-0 when they met in the Capital One Cup in September.

It proved a tough encounter for what was, despite six changes, a strong City side but Milner was just pleased to get the job done.