Jesus anguish offers Aguero his way back
SERGIO AGUERO will be given a chance to demonstrate his enduring value to Manchester City after Gabriel Jesus’s flying start in English football was cruelly cut short by a broken metatarsal.
The 19-year-old Brazilian sensation suffered the injury in City’s win at Bournemouth on Monday night. He is expected to have surgery that will effectively rule him out for the rest of the season.
It’s a devastating blow for Jesus, who has had a huge impact since arriving at the Etihad in a £27million deal with Palmeiras last month. The teenager scored three goals in his first two Premier League starts before City’s trip to Bournemouth.
Aguero has started those three games on the bench amid speculation that his time at the club may come to an end this summer. Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are monitoring the situation.
Aguero’s fall from grace has been just as dramatic as Jesus’s emergence. The Argentina star has said that he will wait until the end of the season to see if he still figures in Pep Guardiola’s plans.
It appeared as though Aguero could drift towards the Etihad exit while Jesus took centre stage, but that has changed dramatically following the Brazilian’s injury.
Guardiola will need Aguero onside if City are to have a chance of closing the eight-point gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea and progressing to the latter stages of the Champions League.
Aguero replaced Jesus on Monday night and forced City’s second goal. Team- mate Yaya Toure believes that this underlines Aguero’s importance to the team.
‘It’s why the top teams have to keep their best players,’ said Toure. ‘Unfortunately Gabriel is injured but Kun (Aguero) came back and we scored straight away, and it was a very important goal as well.’
Jesus’s absence is also likely to open the door for Kelechi Iheanacho, who has not been seen for a month since City’s new signing arrived at the club. The young Nigerian striker is expected to be recalled to the squad for Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Huddersfield Town, while Aguero is kept back for the Champions League tie with Monaco three days later.
Meanwhile, City’s ‘forgotten man’ Nolito has been told to improve his performances on the training pitch if he wants first-team action. The 30-year- old came off the bench with a minute remaining of Monday night’s game for his first taste of league football this year.
A City source has told Sportsmail that Nolito, a £14million arrival from Celta Vigo last season, has failed to impress lately. ‘He has been made aware of what he needs to improve and he has already taken on the challenge,’ the source said.
Nolito’s previous appearance came in the 3-0 victory at Hull City on Boxing Day when he was withdrawn with the match scoreless just before the hour.
It is a long way from the explosive start the forward made after Guardiola beat off competition from former employers Barcelona to bring him to Manchester.