Raheem Sterling will be an instant success at Manchester City, says Manuel Pellegrini

Manager says the English forward has already settled into the City squad ahead of their away clash against West Brom.

Raheem Sterling, the former Liverpool forward, is likely to start his first league game as a Manchester City player. Mal Fairclough / AFP

Raheem Sterling will hope to justify the fuss as Manchester City begin their Premier League campaign at West Bromwich Albion on Monday night.

The England international will be the chief focus of attention at The Hawthorns following his acrimonious £49 million (Dh278.8m) move to City from Liverpool over the summer.

Much of the headlines surrounding the 20-year-old forward in recent months have been negative and he will want to make a quick start in City colours to turn discussion back to his football.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini is confident he can do that and has been pleased with how quickly the player has fitted in during pre-season.

“He has settled in very well. He wants to come here, he wants to have new challenges. I don’t think he deserves criticism about that,” Pellegrini said.

“He is working very well and it is easy for good players to settle in a good team. I think we are going to have a very successful player this year.”

Sterling is likely to be thrown straight into the action with Pellegrini having suggested that he may ease his four Copa America players, including star striker Sergio Aguero, back into action because of their summer exertions.

Pellegrini certainly adopted a similar approach with Aguero after his injury-hit World Cup campaign last year, starting him on the bench for the first two games. It proved to be a sensible decision with Aguero going on to score 32 goals during a prolific season.

There could also be an opportunity for Wilfried Bony, who is the only other senior out-and-out striker in the squad following the departure of Stevan Jovetic and imminent sale of Edin Dzeko.

Bony has made a slow start to his City career, scoring just twice since his £28m January move from Swansea City.

“Bony is a very good player,” Pellegrini said. “He was very unlucky last season because he started with the African Nations Cup and after that he had an injury for about a month and a half. We have a squad and have to fight for four titles. I think Bony will be very important.”

The trip to Tony Pulis’s West Brom, followed by next week’s clash with champions Chelsea, makes for a potentially tricky opening to the season for City.

“All the games in the Premier League are very difficult, especially when you start because everyone expects to have a good season,” Pellegrini said. “Playing away is not the same to starting at home but we are confident we are going to have a good game.”

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