[Reprint from Guardian]
Sergio Agüero is ready to return for Manchester City after he resumed training on Wednesday morning and declared himself "at [the] coach's disposal" for the game at Arsenal on Sunday, having recovered from a blistered foot. Despite potentially being eight points behind Manchester United going into that game, he claimed City "would fight to the end" in their title challenge.
The Argentinian striker tweeted and wrote on his official website: "During the match against Chelsea [last month] I injured my ankle and it was sprayed with a topical anaesthetic that caused a burn on the upper part of my right foot. The injury worsened after a few days and when boils appeared I was told I wouldn't play against Stoke and then against Sunderland. I've said it before and I'll say it again – we are going to fight 'til the end. That's our collective goal and I'm fully committed to it."
Carlos Tevez is primed to start his first game for City since September, with his hopes of being selected by Roberto Mancini at Arsenal potentially dependent on whether Agüero returns. Tevez has featured in City's past three games and he now feels ready to play 90 minutes for the first team as the club's title challenge falters.
While Tevez has yet to score for City this season after managing 24 goals in the last campaign, since his return to action last month the 28-year-old has helped the team salvage at least a point when they had been behind in all three matches – with the forward setting up the winner against Chelsea in the 2-1 victory a fortnight ago.
Despite reports that have linked Agüero to Real Madrid and his father-in-law, Diego Maradona, stating that he should join the Spanish club, City will not allow the striker to leave in the summer. The club are confident that Agüero is happy and settled in Manchester, pointing to his public pronouncements that have underlined this. City believe he is wanted by Real and that the club are deliberately briefing that he may wish to move to try to destabilise him.
Maradona said: "Kun [Agüero] has to play for Madrid. Even though he is flying at City, the best thing would have been to sign for Madrid. He made a mistake. If Madrid want someone, they get them. Florentino [Pérez, the president] has no limits. It's a question of convincing City but not with money because they have plenty of that."
This may have been an allusion to Gonzalo Higuaín, the Madrid striker who is among the forwards admired by Mancini. He is valued at around £25m and may be offered as part of a swap deal by Madrid for Agüero, who cost City £38m last summer. However the Eastlands club is adamant that any move for a new forward would not feature Agüero as part of the deal.
Samir Nasri, who missed the draw with Sunderland due to a family issue, is available for Arsenal, alongside Joleon Lescott who has missed the club's past five games.
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