Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola believes that the level of his players in February will determine
the team’s fate in the knockout round of the Champions League soccer after being drawn by Borussia
Moenchengladbach in the round of 16, Monday.
In four previous seasons under the leadership of the Spanish coach, City reached the quarter-finals in
the highest club competition in Europe 3 times, and qualified for the round of sixteen once.
Despite a series of injuries that chased the team’s players this season, City led the Champions League Group C
with 16 points from 6 games, and Guardiola hopes to have a complete squad when he visits Mönchengladbach
in February.
“When I was working in Germany, I knew the great popularity and the long history of Monchengladbagh,”
Guardiola, the former Bayern Munich coach, told a news conference.
He continued: “I like the beautiful football that it offers. I watched the most prominent shots of them in
the group stage against Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan. He gave two great matches against Shakhtar …
I want the team to be in the best condition when we come to February. We will strive to achieve that and
compete for the farthest extent.”
Guardiola said Sergio Agüero has returned to training after a health problem, but he has not yet included
the Argentine striker in his plans for the match against his host West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League
on Tuesday.
Aguero, 32, who missed the start of the season due to a knee injury, participated as a substitute to score against
Olympique de Marseille in the Champions League last week before missing the goalless draw against
Manchester United, Saturday.
“Sergio trained today. He couldn’t do it two or three days ago,” Guardiola said.
