SERGIO’S LEAVING PRESENT

Pep desperate for club legend Aguero to return and help City reclaim title in his final season

PEP GUARDIOLA is desperate to have Sergio Aguero back to help Manchester City reclaim the title.

But the Spanish boss admits he’s started preparing for life without the club’s talisman and record goalscorer.

Aguero has made just five Premier League appearances this season due to a succession of injuries, as well as being forced to self-isolate after coming into close contact with someone who had Covid-19.

The Argentine striker

(right, with Guardiola),

32, is out of contract at the end of this season and is not expected to agree an extension with Etihad bosses.

Despite being without their lethal marksman, City have gone 15 games unbeaten in all competitions and won eight on the spin.

Their form has seen them charge into the title reckoning ahead of tonight’s game at home to Aston Villa.

And Guardiola insists he cannot wait to have Aguero back in the fold for the fight to the finish, despite conceding City have to look to a future that will not include the club legend.

He said: “We need him and we miss him because his numbers speak for themselves. He is the best striker in our history.

“He can create and win games for himself. We could have complained (about being without him), but we did the opposite.

“We want him back, but we have to move forward, find alternatives, use the quality we have and move forward.” One of the reasons for City’s recent success has been their miserly defending, with Guardiola’s side conceding just three goals in their last 15 outings.

City have benefited from John Stones’ return to top form along with the impressive impact Ruben Dias has made since joining City from Benfica in September in a club record £62million deal.

Guardiola, who won’t be signing anyone in this month’s transfer window, believes Dias is an exceptional talent and knows French international Aymeric Laporte now faces a huge battle to get back into the team.

He added: “It depends on Laporte. He has special quality with the ball. He has to be focused to come back in the best condition possible and then it depends on performance. We cannot win titles if we don’t play good in defence. We have conceded few and been solid.

“Ruben’s impact has been massive. Not just with John, when he played alongside Aymeric or Eric Garcia too.

“He is a guy with the ability to live every single action during 95 minutes, he’s always concentrated in what he has to do and his mates, the holding midfielders, the full-backs.

“He is always concentrating – and that is not easy to find in a 23-year-old.”

MAN CITY Ederson. Walker, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko, Cancelo, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Jesus, Foden

Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Luiz, Mcginn, Traore, Grealish, El Ghazi, Watkins

Jonathan Moss