Defiant Aguero ready to return against Arsenal

SERGIO AGUERO is ready to return for Manchester City after he resumed training on Wednesday morning and declared himself “at […

SERGIO AGUERO is ready to return for Manchester City after he resumed training on Wednesday morning and declared himself “at [the] coach’s disposal” for the game at Arsenal on Sunday after his recovery from a blistered foot. Despite potentially being eight points behind Manchester United going into that game he vowed the club “would fight to the end” in their title challenge.

The Argentinian striker tweeted and wrote on his official website: “During the match against Chelsea [last month] I injured my ankle and it was sprayed with a topical anaesthetic that caused a burn on the upper part of my right foot.

“The injury worsened after a few days and when boils appeared I was told I wouldn’t play against Stoke and then against Sunderland.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we are going to fight ‘til the end. That’s our collective goal and I’m fully committed to it.”

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Carlos Tevez is primed to start his first game for City since September, with his hopes of being selected by Roberto Mancini at Arsenal potentially dependent on whether Aguero returns. Tevez has featured in City’s past three games and he now feels ready to play 90 minutes for the first team as the club’s title challenge falters.

While Tevez has yet to score for City this season after managing 24 goals in the last campaign, since his return to action last month, against Chelsea, Stoke and Sunderland, the 28-year-old’s introduction helped the team salvage at least a point when they had been behind in all three matches – with the forward setting up the winner against Chelsea in the 2-1 victory a fortnight ago.

Despite reports that have linked Aguero to Real Madrid and his father-in-law, Diego Maradona, stating he should join the Spanish club, City will not allow the striker to leave in the summer.

The club are confident Aguero is happy and settled in Manchester, pointing to his public pronouncements that have underlined this. City believe he is wanted by Real and that the club is deliberately briefing that he may wish to move so as to try and destabilise him.

Maradona said: “Kun [Aguero] has to play for Madrid. Even though he is flying at City, the best thing would have been to sign for Madrid. He made a mistake. If Madrid want someone, they get them. Florentino [Perez, the president] has no limits.

“It’s a question of convincing City but not with money because they have plenty of that.”

This may have been an allusion to Gonzalo Higuain, the Madrid striker who is among the forwards admired by Mancini. He is valued at around €30 million and might be offered as part of a swap deal by Madrid for Aguero, who cost City €46 million last summer.

However, the Eastlands club is adamant that any move for a new forward would not feature Aguero as part of the deal.

Samir Nasri, who missed the draw with Sunderland due to a family issue, is available to face his former club Arsenal, alongside Joleon Lescott who has missed the club’s past five games.

Meanwhile, Nemanja Vidic has hailed the strength of Manchester United’s squad saying that their strong title challenge despite his season-ending injury in December proves they do not depend on just “one player”.

Vidic suffered ruptured cruciate ligaments at Basel in December as United were knocked out of the Champions League, but without their captain Alex Ferguson’s side can take an eight-point lead if they defeat Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, with Manchester City playing at Arsenal later that day.

Vidic said: “I always believed we would challenge for the title. It doesn’t matter who is out. United never depend on one player. If you look at the past, players have left and fans have said how are we going to cope? But the manager is the best at replacing players and the team still win titles and trophies. That is why Manchester United are so special.”

Guardian Service