Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has defended his decision to start Sergio Aguero on his return from injury in Monday’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.
Aguero, who had missed their previous four games with a heel problem, did not look at his sharpest as he played for 63 minutes at Emirates Stadium.
And fellow striker Wilfried Bony, who had scored in City’s previous two matches but was only a substitute, said he believed he deserved to begin the game against Arsene Wenger’s side.
But Pellegrini said in a news conference: “Sergio was ready to play. He needed minutes.”
“Maybe for three or four games he won’t play 90 minutes as he’s coming back from injury but he needs to play,” he added.
Pellegrini shrugged off suggestions he will move for the Premier League’s 15-goal top scorer, Leicester striker Jamie Vardy. “Those are rumours,” he said. “I always say the same — I don’t talk about rumours.”
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