Saturday 21 November 2015 16:32, UK
Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed Sergio Aguero is fit to play in Manchester City's Saturday Night Football clash at home to Liverpool.
Aguero is ready to return for the live Sky Sports encounter after six weeks out with a hamstring injury and is set for his first City game since scoring five goals in 21 minutes in a 6-1 win over Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium at the start of last month.
Pellegrini, who is again without captain Vincent Kompany as well as David Silva, Wilfried Bony and Samir Nasri, wants City to show the same kind of "cold mind" they displayed against the Magpies when Jurgen Klopp's 10th-placed Reds arrive to face the Premier League leaders.
"Sergio is fit - he's ready to come back," said the City boss, who steered his side to the top of the table and into the Champions League knockout stages before the international break.
"David continues with some small sprain in his ankle, so it's a risk for him to play. Unfortunately also, Samir Nasri is injured. Bony and Vincent Kompany are also injured.
"One of the merits of this team is not just to depend on one player but of course our team is better with Sergio.
"One of the most important things in important games is to have a cold mind, not a cold heart but a cold mind. It's so important and I hope we can do it.
"I think that, for me, it is never a pressure to be top - you always want to be top as you only depend on what you can do. For me, it's a pleasure to be top and we'll continue to try to be - it doesn't matter what happens, we're always the favourites with the media and seen as the team to beat.
"It's important to retain the same way we finished [before the break] - at the moment, we are having a good season."
Saturday's game sees James Milner and Raheem Sterling line up against the clubs they left in the summer, both moves happening against the will of their managers.
Pellegrini said: "I always think it is special for all players - not only Raheem - to play against the team they worked for for many players. Maybe for James Milner, it will be exactly the same.
"But those situations are part of the career of the player. They are now defending another shirt.
"We did all we could to convince James Milner to stay. He wanted to go to have another challenge and you must understand that if a player does not want to stay here, you cannot do any more to convince him. We tried to do all what we could.
"I always say that Raheem is a very young player. He must improve a lot and in important things. It is important also he can demonstrate it in every game but I am very happy with the way he is playing so far.
"He just 20 years old and he has a lot of years to work but he will be a very important player, not only for Manchester City but for England."
