Manchester City's top scorer Sergio Aguero is back in contention for Sunday's clash with Barclays Premier League title rivals Liverpool.
City’s leading striker has missed their last five games with a hamstring injury but has been back in training for more than a week.
Blues manager Manuel Pellegrini is now hopeful the Argentina international, who has scored 26 goals this season but none since January, will be able to have an impact at Anfield.
Pellegrini said: “Sergio is okay. He has worked the whole week with the squad as normal. He doesn’t have any problems.”
Liverpool lead the Premier League heading into the eagerly-anticipated contest with third-placed City four points behind, but with two games in hand.
City have actually fared well in Aguero’s absence, winning four and drawing one, but Pellegrini says there is no doubt Aguero has been missed.
The Chilean, speaking at a press conference to preview the game, said: “He is a top player, he is a player that is very difficult for the other defences to stop him. Of course he is very important for us.
“We always miss important players such as Sergio Aguero, but we have had a lot of other players injured during the year and the squad has had a good answer. We have a squad prepared to not depend on just one player.”
Sunday’s game is set to have a huge bearing on the title race, but Pellegrini has warned it should not be regarded as a decider for the crown.
He said: “The biggest game is every week for me. It is not a game that will decide the title. It is a very important game but we can beat Liverpool and after if we lose against Sunderland and West Brom, we are not going to win the title.
“It is important because we are playing the team that are top of the table but if we think this game is more important than next Wednesday we are not going to win the title.”
City's only notable injury absentee is defender Matija Nastasic, who has been on the sidelines since early February with a knee problem that the club are still struggling to fully diagnose.
Pellegrini said: “It is very difficult because the doctor cannot find what happened with him. We made a lot of different things with him but he continues with pain so I don’t know how many days he will continue with pain.”
