Manuel Pellegrini heaps praise on Manchester City striker

Manuel Pellegrini is delighted with Kelechi Iheanacho's progress

MANUEL PELLEGRINI says Kelechi Iheanacho’s stunning full debut for Manchester City didn’t surprise him because he had seen his quality on the training ground.

 

But he warned the 19-year-old Nigerian striker he must keep working on his game and not rest on his laurels if he wants to stay in the first team reckoning.
With Sergio Aguero and David Silva still out injured, Pellegrini is set to keep academy graduate Iheanacho in City’s team for the visit of Norwich tomorrow after he scored one and made two in the midweek Capital One Cup destruction of Crystal Palace.
“No, he didn’t impress me because I work with him every day so I knew already what he can give to our team,” said Pellegrini.

“Last season I think he was ready to do it [in the first team] but he oculdn’t play because there was a delay over his work permit and unfortunately he had a very serious ankle injury.
“Now he is ready and I am very happy for him to demonstrate what he can do. But it is just one game, he must repeat, he must improve. It is important when players get a chance they demonstrate why they are here.“
Iheanacho has revealed he regards team-mate Wilfried Bony as like a “big brother” and Pellegrini says playing alongside the Ivory Coast international helps the youngster.

 

Pellegrini says he has known Iheanacho has had the ability from his performances in training

He added: “Bony is very important not only for Kelechi but very important for the team. He is a striker that prepares the play very well in the way he can hold the ball up.

“The way Kelechi or Aguero play, those seconds Bony gives are very important for the other strikers to arrive into the right position to try and score. And it’s even better if they have a good relationship between them.”

Pablo Zabaleta will be out until after the next international break with damaging a medial ligament in his knee for the second time this season.

Midfielder Silva could be back for the Champions League visit to Seville on Tuesday but Aguero - like Zabaleta -  will not be back until after the November international break when Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Fabian Delph will also likely to resume after long-term injuries.

 

Pellegrini said: “Pablo has the same injury in his medial ligament but it is not so bad as the first one he had.  He will probably be fit to return after the international break.

“We will see every day how Silva improves. We have three more days until Tuesday and we will decide at the end.

“Sergio is continuing with his treatment. He is different to Silva because it is a muscle injury so he needs to have the amount of days he needs to be fit.”

City have scored 16 goals in their last three home games but Pellegrini has warned his players against any complacency against Norwich - who conceded seven on their last visit to the Etihad two seasons ago.

“All games are difficult in the Premier League,” he said, “it doesn’t matter which position the team is in. You know you have to play with 100 per cent intensity and a lot concentration. Two or three balls decide the result. It is important to repeat what we did against Palace on Wednesday. The attitude must be the same. 

“We cannot think about what we did two seasons ago against Norwich. It is absolutely different, a different team, a different manager, a different moment. 

“It would be a great mistake to think about Tuesday’s game against Sevilla. We are not thinking about Sevilla. We are thinking just about Norwich. We need to win these three points at home. 

“If we want to continue at the top of the table, we cannot drop points at home. After that, when we finish, we will see Tuesday which are the better players to start against Sevilla but we are not thinking about Tuesday.”