No, not Pep in that pullover, but super striker Aguero who the boss backs to do the business again in the big game

PEP GUARDIOLA believes Sergio Aguero is a special player built for important games.

So, as Manchester City start a 12-game run they hope will propel them to a successful defence of their title, the manager knows he can count on the Argentine striker (right) when it comes to the crunch.

And as that run-in starts tomorrow with the visit of Chelsea, Aguero is perhaps the most important player at Guardiola’s disposal. In 59 games against other teams in the established top six, Aguero has scored 40 times and nobody with any sense would bet against him adding to that tally at the Etihad. Guardiola said: “The big players need to appear in the big games, in the big moments, and he has done it. Hopefully, he can continue to do it.

“In the big games, we need the important players. No Sarri is important, no Pep, no Jurgen or any manager. This game belongs to the players and the important games belong to the special players.

“Sometimes it helps to understand what he has done.

“That goal against Liverpool summed up what he is about. Sometimes the best tennis players on a point to save the break, they make an ace.

“In the big moments, always the big athletes come there, the big finals, the big moments.

“Sometimes some players hide in the scary moments. The other ones step forward and say, ‘I’m the boss, I’m here and I’m going to win the game’.

“Big clubs need these kinds of players. It’s simple.”

But while

Aguero is close to undroppable, with six goals in his last five games,

Guardiola had a warning for Kevin

De Bruyne that he is no longer guaranteed a place. De Bruyne, City’s player of the year last season, has struggled to nail down a regular spot this term after suffering two separate knee injuries. He missed the first two months of the season with knee ligament damage, but lasted just four games before being sidelined for another six weeks. The Belgium star came on for the final moments of City’s 2-0 win at Everton in midweek, providing the assist for Gabriel Jesus to score the decisive second goal. Asked if De Bruyne may no longer be guaranteed his place, Guardiola said: “Maybe, yeah. It’s quite possible, everyone knows possible to play or not possible.

“In the end, we judge the players for who they are, but they are there to perform.

“There are times when teammates are in better condition and, in football, what you have done in the past – you have to do again in future.

“We try to control the players. He played the last two, at Everton a few minutes. I want him to play as much as possible. He went out for five minutes and he was incredible.

“I want him to sustain that for a long time. When you’re out a long time, I don’t want him playing game, game, game.”

Guardiola also hit back at UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, who accused him and other Premier League bosses of “a lack of respect” for failing to attend a meeting in Frankfurt to discuss the use of VAR.

Guardiola added: “I respect what he says but I don’t agree with him.

“Brian Kidd was there and I have on my table the report.

“I had tickets and I was going, but the Premier League decided to put the game at Everton there, between the Arsenal and Chelsea ones. So I couldn’t travel.

“But someone from Man City was there, so we were involved in that.” it’s