Aguero to repay Man City for self-inflicted injury with goals ahead of West Ham trip

SERGIO AGUERO says he is to blame for the latest in a long line of hamstring injuries which disrupted the first half of Manchester City’s season – but has promised to make amends with a “flow” of goals to fire them to a third title.

 

Sergio Aguero has missed seven Premier League games this season

 

The striker missed seven matches this season after suffering the injury when playing with Argentina and a further four games with a heel problem.

But having started the last six matches for City in all competitions, scoring five times, he now feels he is ready to make up for lost time.

“With the last injury I picked up on international duty I carried on playing when I should have come off,” said Aguero, whose side face West Ham today. “That could have been avoided but you always want to play [for your country] and Argentina really needed to win so I said to myself ‘I’ve got to play’.

“Now I won’t risk myself but feel I am getting back up to full fitness for games and missing as few as possible, that’s the most important thing.

“And as time goes on I’m getting to feel better and better physically and I’m getting my full fitness back which is great. Obviously as I get back to full fitness, the goals will start to flow.”

 

Aguero has missed 11 matches this season in addition to the 27 which City have been without him in the previous two campaigns.

Last summer Aguero revealed he had altered his diet in an effort to counter the persistent weakness in his hamstrings.

It now seems he has accepted that time out would appear to be a hazard of a striker’s job.

“You’re working hard in the gym so it could be that. Then you think: ‘What else could it be? Could it be the diet?” So you change that then maybe no, it’s not that,” he said.

“Last year I changed my diet. I’ve always eaten well but now I eat a few more vegetables than I did.” 

 

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic believes Manchester City could miss out on a Champions League spot because of their non-stop domestic schedule.

City’s knockout encounter against Dynamo Kiev on February 24 will be at least their 40th of the campaign and Bilic said: “If they go out I do not think it will be about them dropping their level or quality but the demands of the Premier League.

“The fact you don’t have a break has big impact on the spring period for the teams in the Premier League.

"If we are playing one against one then you don’t feel it – if we are tired then Crystal Palace, say, are tired. But with breaks in Spain, France or three weeks in Germany, it’s very important.”