The Ivory Coast pair won the tournament in February but have disappointed upon their return to club action

Manchester City stars Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony are struggling with the pace of the Premier League following their Africa Cup of Nations triumph, according to manager Manuel Pellegrini.

The pair helped the Ivory Coast to continental silverware during January and February, with City struggling in Toure’s absence.

Bony – who arrived from Swansea City in January – has yet to get off the mark for his new club and Pellegrini feels that their Afcon involvement has come at a cost.

“It was important for [Bony] to start the game from the beginning,” the Chilean told reporters of the striker’s full debut in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Leicester City.

“He only played a couple of minutes in the last few games and he only just arrived from the Africa Cup of Nations, where they played a lot of games.

“I think Yaya is also feeling the pace of the games.

“It would have been better for [Bony] to score but it was more important to start a game. It was also important for him to have some chances and I think he worked very well.”