Aguero injured in Dutch car crash, City say

Manchester City’s Argentine striker Sergio Aguero “sustained injuries” in a car crash in the Netherlands and is returning to Britain to be checked ahead of the weekend’s Premier League fixtures, the club said on Friday.

“Sergio Aguero will be assessed by club doctors today after being involved in a road accident on Thursday. The City forward was in Holland on his day off and has sustained injuries,” said the statement.

The prolific 29-year-old will return to Manchester Friday morning and will be assessed ahead of City’s Premier League clash at Chelsea on Saturday.

Amsterdam police spokesman Frans Zuiderhoek told AFP that officers attended an accident in the city at around 11:00pm (2100 GMT) on Thursday after “a taxi-cab hit a lamp-post”.

He could not confirm the identities of the two passengers and the driver, who all asked to remain anonymous.

“No other vehicles were involved,” he told AFP early Friday, adding three people in the taxi “have been transferred to hospital for observation… but there were no bad injuries.”

The accident occurred on De Boelelaan street, said Zuiderhoek, not far from the Arena A where Colombian singer Maluma performed Thursday.

The Argentina striker, who has scored 128 goals in 187 games for the English club, on Thursday posted a picture of himself with the singer on his official Instagram page.

British media reported that Aguero, who has already scored six times in the Premier League this season, had sustained broken ribs and was set to be out for around two months.

Aguero’s former club Independiente posted a message of support on Twitter, saying: “Strength and speedy recovery @aguerosergiokun! All @Independiente is with you at this difficult time.”

The striker needs only more two goals to become City’s all-time leading scorer and is widely viewed as one of the world’s most feared strikers.

 Hero for fans

Yet just seven months ago, Aguero’s Eastlands future appeared bleak after he lost the trust of City manager Pep Guardiola.

Having earned his way back into Guardiola’s good graces by refusing to complain publicly about his treatment last term, Aguero has made himself indispensible with a barrage of goals.

Aguero is a hero amongst the City fans after scoring the winning injury-time goal that snatched the 2011/12 Premier League title away from arch-rivals Manchester United, one of the most dramatic goals in the league’s history.

Signed from Atletico Madrid for £38 million ($51 million, 42 million euros) by then-City boss Roberto Mancini in 2011, Aguero wasted little time announcing his arrival on the Premier League stage.

He marked his City debut with two goals in a 30-minute substitute appearance against Swansea.

By the time City reached the final game of the season, Aguero had scored 23 times in the league to fire the club towards its first title in 44 years.

His goals were a key element in City’s second Premier League triumph two years later.

He has also won the League Cup twice and finished as the Premier League’s top scorer in the 2014/15 season.

City received another injury blow on Thursday when £50 million French defender Benjamin Mendy was diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.