Friday, March 29, 2024

Aguero reveals Guardiola struggles and five-year knee woe

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 17 May 2018

141 Views

Sergio Aguero concedes his early days under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City were not easy but the striker hopes his manager has helped to put five years of knee soreness behind as the 2018 World Cup approaches.

Aguero became City’s all-time record goalscorer this season and was once again a key figure as the club claimed a third Premier League title since his arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2011.

The 29-year-old finished an injury-curtailed campaign with 30 goals in all competitions and back in position as Guardiola’s first-choice striker.

Things have not always run so smoothly for Aguero under the Catalan, who demanded a greater all-round contribution from the Argentina star last season and dropped him in favour of Brazil youngster Gabriel Jesus.

“Guardiola is very demanding, it wasn’t easy at the beginning,” he said of the City boss, who signed a two-year contract extension to keep him in charge at the Etihad Stadium until 2021 on Thursday. 

“After Gabriel’s arriving, Pep had some alternatives for the starting XI, but at Manchester City we have a lot of matches in different competitions to show our performance.”

Aguero has had to watch those matches from the sidelines over the closing weeks of the season following keyhole knee surgery.

A heavy challenge from Manchester United full-back Ashley Young during April’s 3-2 derby defeat aggravated an existing problem.

However, Aguero told TyC Sports his right knee has been a long-term source of discomfort throughout some prolific exploits.

“From 2013 I have been suffering. I tried to make an effort to play in the Champions League [quarter-final defeat against Liverpool],” he said.

“Pep supported me a lot. I talked with the doctors and I said that if we didn’t make surgery I could lose [the chance to play at] the World Cup.

“After five years, my knee is like knew. I’ve always had problems but now I feel different, I can bend it and it’s a relief.”

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

More More
Top