Thursday, September 6, 2012

Agüero could be fit for Tuesday

Sergio Agüero, who is injured and suspended for the World Cup qualifier against Paraguay tomorrow, is confident that he can be part of the team for the game against Peru on Tuesday if his knee progresses well over the next few days.

Manchester City striker Sergio Agüero has hinted he could be involved in Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Peru on Tuesday despite not having played for his club since suffering a knee injury on the opening day of the season.

The Premier League champions expect to be without the frontman until mid-September at the earliest after he fell awkwardly in their opening league game against Southampton on 19 August. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella nevertheless included Agüero when he announced his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru tomorrow and Tuesday respectively — a decision labelled by City boss Roberto Mancini as “ridiculous”.

The 24-year-old, suspended for the Paraguay game, has now risked further upsetting his club by suggesting he could even feature against Peru if the knee progresses well over the next few days.

“I’m here until the Peru game,” Agüero was quoted as telling reporters on arrival in his homeland. “The knee still hurts at the moment and it bothers me, but maybe in two or three days the condition will change. Now I’m going to see the doctors of the Argentine Football Association.”

Mancini accepted Argentina had a right under international rules to summon Agüero — and carry out their own medical assessment if necessary — but claimed it was a ludicrous situation.

Speaking on August 24, soon after the squad was announced, the Italian said: “It is impossible because Sergio needs a minimum of two weeks without training. After two weeks he can start again. If in one week he could be ready to play it is different, but I think he needs another two weeks. He can go and fly back quickly. These are the rules and we need to respect them — they are ridiculous rules.”

Agüero was happy to have been called up by Sabella despite the injury. “It’s always nice to be here with the guys,” the former Atlético Madrid man added. “We knew from the U-20s that this was a good group, and we must continue in this way.”

Coach Sabella called yesterday Estudianes de La Plata’s defender Leandro Desábato after Newcastle’s Fabricio Coloccini suffered an injury in practice.

Coloccini will not be part of the squad which will face Paraguay at the Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba tomorrow, but is not confirmed yet if he will travel to play against Peru on Tuesday.