Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is desperate for club legend Sergio Aguero to prove his fitness for swansong… but admits he must be ‘cold’ in his team selection for the Champions League final
- Sergio Aguero missed Friday’s victory at Newcastle United with a leg injury
- The 32-year-old club record goalscorer will also not feature against Brighton
- Pep Guardiola hopes Aguero can feature as the season reaches an exciting finale
- The City manager added that there is no room for sentiment in team selection for the Champions League final
Pep Guardiola hopes Sergio Aguero has not already played his last game for Manchester City as the striker battles with fresh fitness problems.
Aguero missed Friday’s victory at Newcastle with a leg injury and is not travelling to Brighton for Tuesday night’s penultimate Premier League fixture.
The 32-year-old club record goal-scorer is leaving the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer next month, with Barcelona and Juventus the leading candidates to sign him.
Sergio Aguero missed Friday’s win at Newcastle and will not take part against Brighton
Yet Pep Guardiola hopes Sergio Aguero has not already played his last game for Man City
A failure to prove his fitness before Sunday’s final league game against Everton, when he will lift the trophy alongside captain Fernandinho, would be a disappointing end to Aguero’s time at City.
‘He has niggles,’ Guardiola said. ‘He felt something before Newcastle. Today he is still not fit. Hopefully he will be ready for Everton. I hope so, I hope so.’
The City manager added that there is no room for sentiment in team selection for the Champions League final against Chelsea next week.
‘I would say I’d be cold,’ Guardiola said. ‘I have to take a decision which is the best to win that game. If Sergio is fit he is going to help us, that is for sure, but it’s the final of the Champions League.’
Guardiola, who has talisman Kevin De Bruyne back tonight after injury, revealed there will be tough conversations with some of the squad next month.
City face Chelsea in the Champions League final, with Aguero’s fitness in the balance
The Catalan wants a new striker but is unsure how much business City will conduct, and suggested there could be high-profile outgoings.
‘There are players that accept one typical situation in the team and there are other ones that don’t accept it,’ he said.
‘When they don’t accept sometimes not playing, you can sustain that for one season — a short period — but not for a long period. It’s impossible.
‘In that position, we have to change. We’ll see at the end of the season. We’ll talk with them and we’ll be clear, they’ll be clear, and we’ll decide the best for the players.’
Raheem Sterling, Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus have often found themselves watching from the substitutes’ bench in the club’s biggest matches this term.
‘When you start to complain and complain all the time, another guy will take your position,’ Guardiola added.
‘In football, don’t wait. If you are not in the right moment there will be another guy who will take your position. The guys who move forward and are positive, football always rewards you.
‘They want to play in the final so they are nicer to me. Then I will make a selection and they will be how they are normally: grumpy and upset with me. That’s normal!’
