Sergio Aguero’s season may well have been plagued by injury, but the Manchester City striker could be the ace in the pack as the Citizens go in search of their second ever Premier League title.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini and his men are well into the business end of the season and, without the distractions of the Champions League, they now have a great chance to be crowned English champions.
City have managed to get themselves in such a good position in the table without their star striker Aguero for much of the season.
The Argentine star has been plagued by hamstring problems of late but Pellegrini will be hoping those are now behind the speedy forward, who has already scored 26 goals this season despite the disruption of injury.
It is a real credit to City that they have kept themselves in the title hunt without the talents of Aguero.
Would fellow title challengers Liverpool be in a similar position were they to lose their star striker Luis Suarez, who has been terrorising defenders in the Premier League this season.
It seems unlikely and that just shows the strength in depth in the squad at the Etihad Stadium which has been built and invested in over a number of years now.
Being able to call upon the likes of Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko, who will both be playing at the World Cup in Brazil this summer, is something most clubs in Europe, never mind the Premier League would be envious of.
But with Aguero back in the frame it’s a real boost to Pellegrini who has admitted he is happy to have the 25-year-old back at this crucial stage of the campaign.
He said: “Sergio is okay. He has worked the whole week with the squad as normal. He doesn’t have any problems.
“It’s very important – he’s a top player, it’s very difficult for defences to stop him. It’s very important for us.
“You always miss important players like Sergio – we also had a lot of other players injured during the year. But we have a squad prepared. You do not just depend on one player.”
Despite Pellegrini being keen to play down Aguero’s importance, there is no denying City are a different animal with the South American on the team sheet.
His movement, pace and finishing ability make him one of the standout players in the Premier League, with arguably Suarez his only rival at present.
With the race for the English crown, which you can bet on with bet365, looking like it will possibly go down to the last day of the season on May 11, the small percentages are what is going to make the difference on whether the trophy is being lifted by Vincent Kompany, Steven Gerrard or even Chelsea skipper John Terry.
With Ageuro’s name back in the frame it’s hard to deny City’s chances have increased somewhat and the Argentine is more than likely going to have a big part to play, as he did when the Citizens lifted the trophy on the final day of the season in 2012.