Sergio Aguero is questionable for Manchester City’s Premier League match against Liverpool on November 8 due to a thigh injury.
Pep Guardiola revealed Monday evening that he expects Aguero, who was substituted between the two halves during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at West Ham, for at least two weeks, with City preparing to face hero Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in 13 days, Live on Sky Sports.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Marseille, Guardiola said, “It will be two or three weeks, Sergio (Aguero) and (Benjamin) Mendy as well.
“Sergio got injured in the last game, muscular. When you have been off the field for four or five months with a knee problem, you are always at risk when you come back.
“We tried to deal with it as much as possible, only 50-55 minutes per match. But it wasn’t possible. It depends on the injury. We expect at least 10-15 days, or it could be three weeks or a month.”
Aguero had only come back from a prolonged knee injury a little over a week ago
Aguero joins Gabriel Jesus, Fernandinho, Benjamin Mendy, Nathan Ack and Fernandinho on the sidelines.
The positive news for City is that defender Emeric Laporte was fit enough to travel to France after the blow.
Guardiola added, “Kevin (de Bruyne) came back again and played a few minutes against West Ham. Emerick is also back, and Nathan is very close. Gabriel is close – one to 10 days to return. The rest will be two or three weeks.”
We couldn’t afford to replace Aguero or Jesus
With Aguero and Jesus out, City will be without an experienced specialist striker.
In response to a question whether he wishes to strengthen the club in this position in the summer transfer window, Guardiola said: “Maybe. We thought about it and thought about it, and another kind of attacker, but we couldn’t.”
It’s not a club that wants revenue at the end of the year, that’s what they want and what’s best for the team.
“When you decide to buy a striker, they have to be on the level of Aguero and Jesus and we can’t afford that. That is the reality.”
“I am not saying that the club did not want to do that, not only in terms of strikers but in every position, but they wanted to form a team as strong as possible to provide more matches and better. But we thought ‘OK,’ Sergio is back and we didn’t expect Gabriel to be injured. Sometimes that happens. “
