Sergio Agüero will risk his fitness by playing for Argentina despite admitting he ruled himself out of several Manchester City games when previously taking a similar gamble.
City host Everton on Saturday with Pep Guardiola intent on ensuring they bounce back after the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in their last league outing before the international break.
The Catalan has been clear that all of his players need to recover and prepare properly to cope with the demands of elite football to minimise the risk of injuries.
Yet despite being taken off in Argentina’s 2-2 draw against Peru on Saturday, Agüero has been cleared for the second World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in Cordoba on Tuesday night.
During that match in Lima the 28-year-old was withdrawn due to what was revealed as an adductor problem. Yet Agüero is keen to face Paraguay despite not being able to train fully, and the fact that he ended up missing six City matches as a result of pushing himself to face Ecuador for Argentina in October last year.
He said: “I’m better, we did tests, I did well and I’m trying to get as fit as possible for Tuesday. Bauza [the head coach] has the decision: for Tuesday I’ll be available. I’m much better. After the Peru game I had two days to recover and [on Sunday] I played a little football. You always want to play in the team and try to do your best. For now I feel good physically,” he told Ole.
“Within five minutes of the second half against Peru I began to feel the tiredness on the calf, [the coach] noticed and took me out. But I’m quite well now: you get physical fitness playing, not training.
“When you’re at the national team you always want to take part, but the last time, for wanting to continue, I ended up injured against Ecuador. Sometimes you think: ‘Why didn’t I stop?’ Because then I’m out for a month and a half and I miss six or seven games for City. But when they call you for the national team, you want to play at any cost. That’s how it is.”
Agüero stated he hurt his groin in the 3-3 draw at Celtic in a Champions League group game three days before the trip to Tottenham. “It was hard, it had rained, the grass was high and muddy, and since then I’ve been having a bit of an overload,” he said. “I recovered well for two days, then I played against Tottenham. And travelled.
“Sometimes the matter of travelling – resting, the schedule changes, doesn’t help. But I’m pretty good. I wanted to play against Peru, to be available, and I endured everything I could.
“I’m much better. After the Peru game I had two days to make the recovery and I did a little bit of football [in training]. I’m quite well. Luckily the pain I had before Peru went away, it was on the adductor, and certainly to protect the adductor I overloaded the calf a little. I’m better: we did studies, they were good and I’m trying to get as fresh as possible for Tuesday.”
Agüero’s City team-mate Bacary Sagna has been ruled out for up to three weeks following a hamstring injury sustained during France’s 4-1 win against Bulgaria on Friday night. The 33-year-old right-back was substituted after just 27 minutes of the World Cup qualifier in Paris.
