Edin Dzeko does not want to be known as Manchester City's super-sub - and first team coach David Platt insists the striker will get his fair share of starts for the Barclays Premier League champions.
Dzeko is City's leading scorer with six goals this season but four of those goals have come from the bench including two in Saturday's 2-1 win at West Brom. The Bosnia international was introduced with 11 minutes remaining and within 60 seconds had equalised before converting an injury-time pass from Sergio Aguero for the winner.
Dzeko, who also scored the winner at Fulham as a substitute, said: "I always used to play from the beginning (for Wolfsburg) and I scored a lot of goals - not as a sub. In the last few games the situation has been like this and I'm just happy to be scoring goals. But I will never be a super-sub, I want to play."
He added: "The manager (Roberto Mancini) is there to pick the team and I'm there when the team needs me.
"But I was never a super-sub even before I came to Manchester City."
Platt confirmed Dzeko's match-changing contribution had put him in contention to start Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Ajax.
Platt said: "Edin won't have that tag (super-sub) either because he will get his starts like every other player will get their starts. We've got 24 players, four of them are on the treatment table, so we had a squad of 20 to pick from.
"Edin came on and got his two goals and has put himself firmly in the manager's thoughts for Wednesday night. But we will pick a team on what we think is right for Ajax and the one after that."
Platt was pleased with the reaction of Dzeko to not starting the game, and he added: "Edin has been in superb form, not just goalscoring wise, and towards the end of last season he was coming off the bench and doing well.
"But when he has started he has done very well, as well. He is a top, top player. People should be disappointed when they are not in the team but the reaction you want when they come on is that they fight for their team and they have all done well."
