Pep Guardiola has said he will not force Sergio Aguero out of Manchester City, insisting the striker will only leave the club if he chooses to.
Aguero was surprisingly omitted from City’s starting XI for Wednesday’s 4-0 Uefa Champions League defeat to Barcelona but Guardiola is adamant his 11-goal top scorer has a future at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola has loaned goalkeeper Joe Hart to Torino and left midfielder Yaya Toure out of the Champions League squad but the Catalan said he does not intend to make Aguero, scorer of 147 City goals, and club captain Vincent Kompany part of a clearout of big names.
See also:
• Andy Mitten: Less between Barca and Man City than score suggests, but still one big difference: Messi
• Gallery: A night for Lionel Messi as Barcelona humble Pep Guardiola's Man City — in pictures
• Pep Guardiola: 'Until the last day I am a coach I will try to play from the goalkeeper'
“When Sergio decides to leave Manchester City, it will be his decision. I appreciate him like a football player and like a man what he did here,” Guardiola said. “You can call me before you decide he is not in my plans.”
While Aguero was benched in what Guardiola said was a tactical decision, Kompany was not even named on the bench in the Camp Nou, prompting speculation about his future.
But Guardiola revealed the defender, who has only started one game in his reign, had ruled himself out as he said he is looking forward to working with the injury-prone Belgian.
“I saw him when he is fit, he is a real central defender,” the City manager said. “I like him. It was him [who made the decision]. He went to the doctors and said: ‘I am not able to play’.
“I explain always the truth. My [only] decision was Sergio Aguero. We lost 4-0. You want a guilty [person]? I am guilty. We win in Barcelona? I am a genius.”
Guardiola defended goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who was sent off after trying to pass out from the back.
“The decision was not wrong in that moment but the action [he chose], he did not pass good,” Guardiola said.
The Catalan is adamant he will not change his expansive style of play, pointing to his track record of winning trophies as evidence his way is the right way.
“I think about [changing] but after that the solution is not better than what I believe,” he said. “In seven years, I won 21 titles, so it is three titles a year playing in that way. But if you believe I am going to win 4-0 at the Camp Nou, no, I am good but not that.
“Against Everton, one of my friends Ronald Koeman said he never faced a team playing football like Manchester City. That is the best compliment I can receive.”
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Duminy's Test career in numbers
Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.
There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.
More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.
The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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England v South Africa schedule
- First Test: Starts Thursday, Lord's, 2pm (UAE)
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253