No rest for Man City’s Aguero, Bony misses semi-final

REUTERS – Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will not be rested for Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final first leg against Everton but Wilfried Bony is injured, manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Tuesday.

Aguero has been blighted by injuries this season, with Pellegrini easing him back over the Christmas period after his last knock against Southampton in late November.

The Argentine played nearly the full 90 minutes against Watford in the Premier League at the weekend, grabbing a dramatic late winner.

“Bony has a kick in his calf so maybe he’s not fit for tomorrow. In a few days more he should be fine to come back,” Pellegrini told reporters on Tuesday.

“Sergio played three games in a week which was no problem for this moment.

“The last injury was not a muscle injury, just a pain in his heel. He’s fit and the best way for him to recover his best performance is to play games.”

The League Cup represents Pellegrini’s first chance of silverware of the season and the Chilean said playing the first leg of the semi-final away from home would be an advantage.

“It’s always better to play away first so you know what you need in the second leg at home,” he said.

“We must beat Everton, then we can think about the first title and then we think about the best way to start the FA Cup — we must focus game by game regardless of the competition.

“Maybe it’s impossible to win all of the competitions but your attitude and desire and having a winning mentality indicates you must believe you can.”

(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)