AGUERO COVID BLOW FOR BLUES
Pep’s not playing around in the FA Cup /Pages 40, 41, 42 & 43
PEP Guardiola is not sure when he will be able to call on Sergio Aguero with the City striker isolating after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
The Blues manager had said the club’s all-time leading goalscorer would start yesterday’s FA
Cup tie with Birmingham as long as he trained well in the weekend training sessions as the Argentine looks to finally get his season firing. However, the club said he was unavailable but not injured when he was not part of the 20-man squad that arrived at the Etihad.
Gabriel Jesus started up front and Liam Delap came off the bench in a comfortable 3-0 win, but the Blues will have to wait to welcome Aguero back. “Unfortunately, he was in contact more than usual with one person who is positive,” said boss Guardiola.
“He must isolate for a few days.
“I don’t know exactly because he has been tested like all of us six times in the last 10-15 days and it is negative.
“Today I think he was negative too but the protocols says in some cases isolate, and in other cases we still play football.
“He was not able to play today.”
Aguero becomes the ninth first -team player in three weeks to be forced to isolate, after Jesus, Kyle Walker, Ederson, Ferran Torres, Tommy Doyle, Eric Garcia, Cole Palmer and Scott Carson.
Ederson was fit enough to return to the squad against Birmingham, while Torres and Doyle are back in training. Walker and Jesus both started the match.