Pep Guardiola Demanding More From Aguero

Sergio Aguero is set to return for Manchester City against Swansea City on Saturday with Pep Guardiola demanding even more from his striker.

Aguero, 28, has scored nine goals in his first five appearances this season but has had to sit out the last three domestic games after picking up a ban in August.

City can make it 10 wins out of 10 with a second victory in a week against Swansea — having beaten them 2-1 in the EFL Cup on Wednesday — but Guardiola will not let his squad become complacent after their perfect start and is asking more from his players including Aguero.

“Of course a striker has to score goals, I’m so happy — and with Kelechi [Iheanacho] as well,” Guardiola told reporters. “But from all the players I want more. I’m so, so happy with Sergio but I want more. He can do better.”

Guardiola has had success so far at City with his high-pressing game that demands his players get the ball back as soon as possible.

Aguero has to play his part in regaining possession and has admitted that Guardiola is the most demanding coach he has ever worked with.

But the City boss insists he does not want his striker needlessly chasing the ball across the defence and says it is up to his teammates to give him support.

“I don’t want Sergio running too much without the ball, I don’t want him running 40 metres without the ball,” he said. “I try to convince them, what they have to do — four, five, six seconds of effort — he can do that.

“But we can support him like our strikers with the people from behind to make that pressure.”

Iheanacho has impressed in Aguero’s absence — scoring three goals in City’s last four games, including in the victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Guardiola says the teenager is a natural goal scorer and believes he has plenty of potential to improve even further.

“The most important thing with Kelechi is his sense of the goal in the box,” he said.

“Last season and this year, [he played] not too many games but the average rate for goals is high.

“He’s a young player whose come through here, through the academy. He helps us a lot. It’s not easy to go to Old Trafford and play in that moment but what happened with Sergio happened. He’s a young player, he has a lot of things. He has a lot of space to improve.”