Pellegrini plays down Aguero injury

City’s victory was their first in three Premier League games and was a welcome relief for the title favourites after back-to-back losses to Liverpool and Juventus in different competitions in the past week. “I think every manager in the world would like Messi”.

Jamie Vardy set a new Premier League record of 11 successive matches with a goal as he helped Leicester to maintain their impressive run of form in a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Manchester United. But I never complain about players who are injured.

“We have a fantastic squad”.

After two unbeaten games, Steve McClaren’s boys were unable to stop three Foxes from scoring with a Jamie Vardy goal right before the halftime break and two second half scores from Leonardo Ulloa and Shinji Okazaki to complete the rout. I trust a lot in Willy Caballero.

“We hadn’t planned it, we’re doing it specially”, McClaren said of Sunday’s training session, a full week before their next game, at home to Liverpool. Joe Hart is the latest name to pick up a knock and he’ll miss out here along with Samir Nasri, Pablo Zabaleta, Eliaquim Mangala and captain Vincent Kompany.

In a worrying sign for City, though, Aguero limped off with an apparent ankle injury an hour in, although the team did get a boost when David Silva came off the bench after a nine-game injury layoff. Worryingly for Manuel Pellegrini, Sergio Aguero sustained another injury and was replaced by Wilfried Bony.

The City manager said: “I spoke with Sergio before the game and he was not going to play more than 65 minutes”.

Newcastle have failed to score in seven of their Premier League matches this season, more than any other team in the top flight. “I hope both of them can recover”. Southampton are having a good season.

“It should be an entertaining game but we’ll need to be at our best to get something”.

“Richard Wright will be on the bench”. The Serbian drove home to ease City nerves.

Southampton, missing suspended top scorer Graziano Pelle, did not help their cause by constantly giving the ball away in unsafe areas and with 20 minutes gone they were 2-0 down.

You have to fancy Manchester City to get back to winning ways in this one but it may well be tight. “We didn’t hit the levels which we expect and which we have done over the past few weeks against Stoke”, said Davis.