Pep Guardiola wants Sergio Agüero to be “smart and intelligent” and focus solely on playing when the striker returns at Swansea City on Saturday following a three-game suspension for elbowing.
Agüero received the ban via retrospective Football Association action after he was adjudged to have illegally challenged West Ham’s Winston Reid during City’s 3-1 win at the Etihad Stadium last month. His fellow City forward Nolito was then sent off in last Saturday’s 4-0 defeat of Bournemouth for aiming a headbutt at Adam Smith and is serving a three-match ban. Guardiola is clear each should not again become involved in anything that could lead to disciplinary action.
“You have to be smart, intelligent, to not fall down,” City’s head coach said. “Be quiet and focus on what you have to do in the game, but I think for the history of Agüero and Nolito you know they are normal guys, they want to play.”
Guardiola does not believe he has to speak to Agüero about this type of conduct. “He’s not that type of player but sometimes you know this kind of action happens. We can agree or not agree about the suspension but we accept – the same with Nolito, like he didn’t touch the opponent, and first he provoked Nolito – and we have to accept. We have to accept absolutely the suspension from the federation and try as quickly as possible to get Nolito back with the team and we are happy Sergio can play again with us.”
Asked how Agüero is coping with his preferred pressing style, Guardiola said: “I don’t want Sergio running too much without the ball. I don’t want him running 40 metres without the ball. I try to convince them, what they have to do – four, five, six seconds of effort – he can do that. He can do that.
“Always [you use] the word pressure, high-pressing, these kind of things. The real words I like to use with my players are ‘to win the ball’. We go there to win the ball. That’s where we go to make the pressure. But we prefer to have the ball. We believe that if we have the ball we can create more chances and that is the reason why. When I see one player that doesn’t go to the press, what I feel, they don’t want to play. They don’t want the ball. They prefer the opponent to have the ball and I don’t like that.”
In Agüero’s absence Kelechi Iheanacho has scored twice in the league, including the winner in the Manchester derby. “I’m so happy with Kele – a lot,” said Guardiola. “He fights a lot to help us a lot. I know how complicated these kind of games are, especially away and Premier League games.”
Vincent Kompany, meanwhile, has suffered yet another injury setback after groin muscle fatigue was diagnosed as the reason for City’s captain pulling up towards the end of Wednesday’s 2-1 EFL Cup win at Swansea City. The Belgian is waiting to discover the severity of the problem, with further tests due in the next 48 hours. There is optimism at the club that the 30-year-old has not hurt a hamstring or calf, despite the serial muscle injuries that have blighted his City career.
Guardiola, whose team have won all nine of their games this season, said of another meeting with Swansea on Saturday following their 2-1 EFL Cup victory in midweek: “Now we know each other. Francesco [Guidolin, the Swansea manager] now knows me and I know him and we are going to analyse what happened,” Guardiola said. “We have to expect maybe they play with five at the back because against Chelsea he played with five.”
David Silva should be fit following injury. “I think so. I am going to decide, but he told us he feels really good,” said Guardiola.
