The thrill of the chase gave way yesterday to relief that it was over for Manchester City in their failed pursuit of Ronaldinho. With the Brazil forward rejecting City’s overtures so that he could move from Barcelona to AC Milan, Mark Hughes will turn his attention to more realistic targets and his first match in charge, a Uefa Cup qualifier in the Faeroe Isles this evening.

City take on EB/Streymur in the first leg of the first of two qualifying rounds for the Uefa Cup, having been given a wild-card entry by virtue of their fair-play record. The on-field action offers a welcome distraction from the Ronaldinho saga, which ended yesterday when the 28-year-old signed a three-year contract with Milan.

Given that the Ronaldinho deal was driven by Thaksin Shinawatra, the City chairman, with at least one eye on commercial success, Hughes would be forgiven for being relieved that he will be able to shape the team as he wishes, but he was saying nothing of the sort on arrival in the Faeroes yesterday. “The fact that we are in there, trying to get one of the best players in the world, shows our ambition and where we want to go,” he said.

Hughes hopes to sign a defender - either Tal Ben-Haim, of Chelsea, or Lucas Neill, of West Ham United - before trying to buy a central midfield player, a right winger and possibly another forward. This evening Jô, the Brazil forward signed from CSKA Moscow, will make his debut. He is City’s only summer acquisition to date.