Sergio Aguero an injury doubt for Manchester City vs. Liverpool as Pep Guardiola faces atypical challenge

Manchester City could be without Sergio Aguero for their pivotal conflict with Liverpool in just under a fortnight with the Argentine’s absence for their upcoming games shining an awkward highlight on the surprising early season difficulties of Pep Guardiola’s side.

Guardiola confirmed ahead of City’s Champions League tie against Marseille (on CBS All Access) that Aguero would be out for no less than two weeks with a hamstring injury, a timescale that would intent the Citizens’ all-time top goalscorer would be unavailable for the visit of champions Liverpool to the Etihad Stadium on Nov. 8.

Aguero returned from a close four-month spell on the sidelines with a knee injury in the 1-0 win over Arsenal on Oct. 17 and scored in the 3-1 victory against Porto four days later. Then again the 32-year-old could total only half of Saturday’s 1-1 draw at West Ham United before being withdrawn.

“It is going to be two or three weeks, Sergio [Aguero] and [Benjamin] Mendy as polite,” Guardiola said in his pre-match press convention.

“Sergio was once injured in the final game, muscular. When you’re out for four or five months with a knee problem you at all times have a risk when you come back.

“We tried to maintain it as much as imaginable, just 50-55 minutes each and every game. But it was once not imaginable. It depends on the injury. We expect 10-15 days for certain minimum, or it could be three weeks or a month.

“We were incredibly patient and didn’t force the doctors. People told me he was once able but we knew he was once not for Arsenal, we knew he was once not in the most productive condition but without strikers that we had, it was once important that he played 60 minutes but we tried to rest him when the muscle started to be tired. 

“Unfortunately one action in the first half was once unfortunate because he wanted to stop a long shot at West Ham and it happened.”

Aguero’s absence will heighten the goalscoring burden on City’s other forwards at a time when Gabriel Jesus could also be sidelined with an injury to his quadriceps. This can be a burden that so far this season they have got surprisingly struggled to affect.

A City side that has averaged 101 goals across the final three seasons has eight to its name after five games this term and has only scored once in each and every of their final three games, a run in which they have got been held to draws by Leeds United and West Ham.

2017/18

2.71

17.5

2.11

2018/19

2.39

17.89

2.16

2019/20

2.63

19.21

2.45

2020/21

1.6

15.8

1.38

Guardiola looked as if it would acknowledge that his team could do with another player to put the ball in the net having fielded 17-year-old forward Liam Delap twice this season.

“Possibly we regarded as it and thought approximately it and another kind of striker but we could not,” the City boss said. The club did what they are able to.

“You realize when making a decision to shop for a striker they need to be at the level of Aguero and Jesus and we could not manage to pay for it. This is the reality. I am not saying the club didn’t need to do it in any position because they wanted to make as strong a team as imaginable but we thought Sergio was once coming back, we didn’t expect Gabriel’s injury — now and again it happens.”

It isn’t just in finishing chances that City struggle, this season they have got not found the same creative thrust that has been a hallmark of their football under Guardiola.

Despite leading the Premier League in the case of possession per game — 62.8 percent, per fbref — City’s expected goals per 90 (xG per 90), a metric that assesses the quality of chances a team creates, is only the 10th best in the competition. 

At 1.38 xG per90 City are far below their average tally for final season — 2.45 xG — and their two title-winning campaigns.

City saw winger Leroy Sane and playmaker David Silva depart the club final season, replacing the former with Ferran Torres from Valencia. Phil Foden was once long viewed as the natural successor to the latter but so far he has predominantly featured in a wide role.

The 20-year-old and Raheem Sterling are City’s joint-top scorers in the Premier League this season with two goals to their name.

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