Sergio Aguero handed 3-game suspension that will keep him out of Manchester Derby
Sergio Aguero will miss Manchester City's next three matches after The FA upheld their three-match suspension for elbowing Winston Reid last weekend. The Citizens had submitted an appeal of the violent conduct charge, but The FA said video evidence supported the charge and rejected the appeal.
Aguero's suspension will keep him out of City's clash with Manchester United on September 10. With both teams on nine points from their first three matches and the intrigue of Pep Guardiola meeting Jose Mourinho again, not to mention the inherent rivalry of the two Manchester clubs, the match is one of the most anticipated of the young season. However, City will now have to make do without their star striker.
The referee did not see the elbow on Reid so Aguero was not punished during the match. But because the referee did not see the incident, The FA was allowed to review it and hand down its own punishment. After reviewing the tape, they found it to fit the charge of violent conduct, which carries with it an automatic three-match ban.
With Aguero out, Guardiola will have to figure out how to re-work his team. City don't have a natural replacement for Aguero, with Nolito, who is more comfortable on the wing, and the inexperienced Kelechi Iheanacho the best choices to step in as a center forward. Guardiola could opt to play with a false nine, something he has done at Bayern Munich and Barcelona before.
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