Liverpool host Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at Anfield on Wednesday night, and the visitors could be missing Sergio Aguero.
The two sides meet in the most highly-anticipated quarter-final clash of the draw this week, with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp undoubtedly desperate to progress in Europe.
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However, the former may have suffered a damaging setback, as he’s conceded that Aguero is unlikely to be fit enough to make the starting line-up having struggled with a knee problem for a month now.
“We will see about Sergio. Still he didn’t train. Hopefully he is much better,” he is quoted as saying by The Sun. “In these situations it is day by day. Hopefully he can help us. Maybe not in the beginning — maybe the bench.”
The 29-year-old had bagged 30 goals and seven assists in 37 appearances in all competitions to continue to lead the line for City, and so that tells its own story as to how important he is to his side.
While Guardiola will have Gabriel Jesus at his disposal, it’s surely a huge boost for Liverpool that they won’t have to deal with Aguero’s goalscoring threat from the start, provided that the update above is genuine and he won’t make a full recovery in time.
Coupled with his experience in big games and his reputation of scoring important goals, there is no doubt that Man City would have been desperate to have Aguero ready from the start, but based on this update from Guardiola, it doesn’t sound particularly promising.
In turn, the pressure will be on Jesus to deliver in his absence, as although it’s a two-legged affair, securing a decent result away from home in the first leg will be crucial for the Premier League leaders.