When Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City at the end of August 2008, he set out a squad building plan that involved having two world-class players for every position.

Almost two years on, and one change of manager later, the club are getting very close to achieving exactly that goal.

Roberto Mancini is set to be given the very best kind of managerial headache when City kick-off their Premier League campaign at Tottenham on August 14 – who to leave out of the side.

Mancini, working closely with chief executive Garry Cook and football administrator Brian Marwood, has sought to put together a squad capable of challenging on all fronts.

That is why Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng, David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov have arrived, why James Milner and Mario Balotelli are being pursued, and why Mancini is still keen on  Fernando Torres.

The additional challenge of a Europa League campaign, which will stretch to 17 matches if Mancini’s men make it all the way to next May’s final in Dublin, has made strength in depth vital.

Mancini has already warned his players he will operate a rotation policy this season.

City could easily end up playing in excess of 60 matches during the campaign, which would challenge the club record of 61 games played by Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison’s side in 1969/70 as they won the European Cup Winners’ Cup and League Cup.

So if the Blues are serious about pushing for success on four fronts – Europa League, Premier League, FA Cup and Carling Cup – then they will have to spread the work.

It is a message that is getting through to the players, as Micah Richards acknowledges.

“Everyone wants to play all the time,” Richards said. “But when you become a big team, it’s not just about 11 players. Sometimes, you need 25 to 30 players in the squad to achieve what you want to achieve.”

New Premier League rules will restrict Mancini to 25 senior players this coming season, although he can – and will – top that up with as many Under-21 players as he likes.

All the same, there will be plenty of focus on the selections made by Mancini for their remaining pre-season games for any clues as to who will start the league campaign.

Arguably the greatest debate has been over the goalkeeping position. Shay Given was the undisputed No.1 last season – but Joe Hart’s impressive loan stint at Birmingham has handed Mancini a thorny problem.

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Hart will probably start at White Hart Lane, as Given is battling to make a full recovery from a shoulder injury.

But once the Republic of Ireland international is fit, the battle will begin in earnest though the decision to hand last season’s back-up Stuart Taylor a two-year contract has given Mancini extra insurance should the loser of that battle decide to move on.

In theory, Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott should start as the central defensive partnership. Club captain Toure is first-choice, despite some wobbly performances last season, while Lescott settled down after an iffy start to life at Eastlands following his move from Everton.

New boy Jerome Boateng can expect to get the nod at right-back ahead of Richards, but is more than ready to move into the centre – as it is his natural position.

Defensive midfielder Vincent Kompany also slotted in well at centre-back when Toure and Lescott were unavailable at various times last season.

Kolarov, brought in last weekend from Lazio, would be the first-choice left-back, displacing Wayne Bridge – who Mancini has, nonetheless, vowed to keep.

In midfield, Mancini really is spoilt for choice, regardless of whether he completes a deal to bring in James Milner from Aston Villa.

Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry would be the favourites to start in central midfield, despite the fact that Nigel de Jong played in the World Cup final.

Adam Johnson performed better than Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right flank over the second half of last season, which gives him the edge in the race for a starting berth – although that is one position where rotation may come into play most often.

David Silva may well turn out to be the main man on the left side of midfield this season after his expensive arrival from Valencia, a move which has placed Craig Bellamy’s long-term City future into doubt.

Given that Milner can play there too – although he is at his strongest in central midfield – Mancini would have a heck of a job keeping them all happy.

Silva’s ability to play as an attacking central midfielder too gives Mancini extra options if he really wants to go for the jugular.

City’s boss has had to be patient in his attempts to strengthen his forward line – although Balotelli’s arrival now appears to be a case of when rather than if.

Mancini’s suggestion on Sunday night that he still wants Torres was an intriguing one, although Chelsea remain the favourites for the Liverpool striker’s signature.

And so, as things stand, Carlos Tevez would expect to play off Emmanuel Adebayor up front, but there is no guarantee that will still be the case when the transfer window slams shut.

City’s players could be forgiven for dreading the uncertainty. But according to Barry, it only makes things even more exciting.

“The players we’ve signed can only improve us,” the England star  said. “If we keep improving, then we’re going to start winning things.”

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