Pellegrini admitted that Aguero was not in peak condition when he faced West Ham last week as City lost 2-1 to drop their first Premier League points of the season.
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But he broke a five-game scoring drought with his penalty in the Capital One Cup win over Sunderland on Tuesday – and Pellegrini is convinced that can prove a platform for last season’s golden boot-winner.
“I think that against Sunderland he was practically 100% fit”, Pellegrini told reporters.
“He was an important player during the game, he participates in all the goals”. He scored the penalty and he had other chances. “Maybe after his injury he was not alright, especially after West Ham he was not 100 percent, but he is okay now”.
The 22-year-old dismissed concerns about the likes of Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling by suggesting there is quality throughout the City team, instead focusing on Tottenham’s defence – the second best in the league, after their opponents.
Eliaquim Mangala, Gael Clichy, Fabian Delph, David Silva, Wilfried Bony, Pablo Zabaleta and Kelechi Iheanacho are all absent, testing the league’s wealthiest squad to the full. Not just one reason.
“For me records are not important”, said Pellegrini.
‘That is why you must have a strong squad. That is why we played the game against Sunderland with 11 players injured and won.
“Any team we play we’re looking to be on the front foot and press and get high up the pitch and get bodies forward”.
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Kane, of course, is neither as good as last season’s bewildering haul indicated nor as bad as a few more wayward performances would make him out to be, but Tottenham are short of out-and-out goal threat beyond the England striker. Spurs will have to contend with a Belgian star of City’s own though with the news that Etihad captain Vincent Kompany is available after he missed the surprise defeat against the Hammers last weekend. “The important thing is for Kun is to score tomorrow”, he added. “He will keep making them runs, keep getting himself in those positions and, once that first goal comes in the Premier League, you are going to see a lot of them”.
