Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is confident veteran striker Sergio Aguero can rediscover his best form after recent struggles with injury, but by the club’s lofty standards overall after a poor start to the 2020/21 season. are demanding more from their squad.
Ahead of this weekend’s kick-off against Fulham, Aguero has managed just 190 minutes in all competitions so far this season and has played just once since October.
Sergio Aguero has missed most of the season with an injury.
The Argentine, City’s all-time record goalscorer, has not played regularly since June due to ongoing knee problems, and is not yet ready to return. However, when he does, Guardiola expects him to be the same player he was before.
“When he’s fit, he’ll be the same player,” the boss said, via ManCity.com.
“Omar is Omar. He needs to be fit and he will need a bit more time than Raheem Sterling or Phil Foden. [to recover] Because the physicality of his body is different. I’m optimistic that he can help us this season – to do what Sergio does – but he doesn’t need a sore knee to do that.
“We are working on it. Today, he is feeling much better and when he can train under normal conditions for a week or two, he will be back with his best performance. The sense of purpose is unique. It’s very important.”
Guardiola and Man City miss Aguero’s impact / ALEX LIVESEY/Getty Images
City have struggled for goals without Aguero. Last weekend’s 5-0 thrashing of Burnley was the first time the team had scored more than one goal in a Premier League game since the second week of the season. Coupled with current defensive issues, poor scoring has pushed City to mid-table.
Now, Guardiola has urged every player in the squad to raise their level while trying to foster a level of competition for places that will keep individuals on their toes.
“All the players know that now there are players who play well and the next game they don’t,” he added, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
Guardiola wants healthy competition for places in his squad/Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
“The word rotation is a misnomer. Rotation sounds like, ‘I’m a big star and now I don’t play this game because I’m going to play the next big game.’ [instead]This is a huge mistake for the players.
“Now they know that after 19 or 20 players are fit, they have to raise their standards and play as high as possible. This is the only way to get close to the biggest teams in Europe and the biggest team in the Premier League.
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