Welling up: Aguero was visibly concerned before leaving the field
They have spent the season refuting the perception they are a one-man team.
Now is their chance to prove it on the biggest stage in what could be a season-defining game.
Manchester City will have to face Roma away on Wednesday without star striker Sergio Aguero, the man who has single-handedly carried them through an indifferent start to the season.
Aguero’s
19 goals in 20 games have helped keep City within touching distance of
Chelsea in the title race and in with a shout of making the Champions
League knockout stage against all odds.
But the knee injury Aguero suffered after just 75 seconds means Manuel Pellegrini’s side must travel to the Italian capital tomorrow without their talisman.
It will amount to the biggest test of character for City, who will also miss the suspended Yaya Toure and could be without skipper Vincent Kompany and playmaker David Silva.
Kompany
has missed City’s last two games with a hamstring strain, while Silva
has sat out their last eight with a knee problem. Even if both do return
on Wednesday, they will be far from match-fit, particularly Silva.
The
loss of Aguero has been compounded by the fact Edin Dzeko has only just
come back from a month-long injury lay-off, playing the final half-hour
here, while Stevan Jovetic sat out the game with a slight knock. In pictures: Manchester City vs Everton VIEW GALLERY
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have it all to do in Rome, where a win would
almost certainly see them through, while a score-draw could also see
them progress to the last-16. City midfielder James Milner, their man of the match against Everton
with a tireless display, said: “Sergio is a world-class player, one of
the best on the planet, and has been absolutely outstanding, so the
injury has come at a bad time.
"People can say whatever they want, if they think we’re a one-man team.
“Some people have been saying Chelsea have won the league, 10 games in, and here we are with a three-point gap.
“We just concentrate on our own business and that’s the most important thing.
“People get carried away with certain things outside the dressing room, but we’ve been here before and that experience helps us.
“Losing
a player like Sergio will be a big miss for us. Hopefully he’ll be back
sooner rather than later, but Edin coming back is a positive, and he’s a
fantastic goalscorer.”
A week ago City trailed Chelsea by eight points, the consensus being Jose Mourinho’s formidable side would stroll to the title, with no-one able to match their relentless consistency. Options: With the return of Dzeko and Jovetic, Milner is confident City will have enough to overcome Roma
Yet after Chelsea’s capitulation at Newcastle, coupled with four straight wins for City, the gap is down to three points and the title race back on.
City
have come through their blip, and while they did not sweep aside
Everton in the way they did Southampton and Sunderland, the manner of
the hard-fought win was no less impressive.
“Coming off that international break we started well and the performances have been back to where they were,” said Milner.
“We probably didn’t play as well on Saturday, but we showed the other side to our game too.”
Yaya Toure’s 24th-minute spot-kick, awarded after what looked an innocuous challenge from Everton skipper Phil Jagielka on Milner, proved enough for City to clinch the key win.
Having
clawed their way back to within touching distance of Chelsea, now
City’s focus shifts to Rome, with Milner convinced they can get the job
done.
“We have a fantastic squad of players, Edin is coming back –
which is good timing – and hopefully Stevan should be available as
well,” he added.
“Sergio is very, very difficult to replace, but with the players we do have up there, I’m not too worried.”
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