Pellegrini elected to cut the Frenchman, rather than Kevin De Bruyne, from his Uefa list so he could bring young striker Kelechi Iheanacho into the fold for the knock-out stages
Manuel Pellegrini says he took Samir Nasri out of his Champions League squad because he did not expect the Frenchman to return from injury so quickly.
Nasri needed around 100 stitches after suffering a freak training ground injury back in October, with the subsequent surgery ruling him out for almost six months.
The Frenchman's tendon had detached from his thigh bone, giving club doctors the impression that he would not be back in contention for the Champions League quarterfinals even during consultations throughout March.