Pellegrini hopes to get City quintet back to face Liverpool
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Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini will use the international break to get the likes of David Silva and Sergio Aguero back to full fitness.
The fortnight break comes at the right time for City after Wilfried Bony came off in the first half of Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Aston Villa with a hamstring injury, while Silva, Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Samir Nasri have been absent over recent weeks.
Pellegrini says Bony will be assessed but the manager hopes to have them all back in time for the clash with Liverpool on November 21.
The Chilean said: “I hope they will do their last work with the physio and next Monday will start working with the squad.
“We will see in the way he (Aguero) improves this week but I think he can be (fit after the international break). It will be easier for us to have a striker.
“Bony has a hamstring injury and we will see on Monday how long he will be. Maybe he must go (with the Ivory Coast) because the doctor of his country must review him but I don’t think he will be playing.”
City are unbeaten in their last nine games and Pellegrini is pleased with their form despite missing key players.
“It’s important for the squad to win the amount of games we did and not to lose in this part of the season when we didn’t have important players,” he added.
“That’s why it’s important to still be top of the table, qualifying in the Champions League and still be in the Capital One Cup.”