• Community Shield

Aguero on the bench for curtain raiser

Sergio Aguero may have a substitute role to play at Wembley © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Bruce reveals interest in Craig Bellamy
  
• News: Eriksen 'snubs Man City approach'
  
• News: Fergie to keep Berbatov in pursuit of 84-point target
  
• News: Italian media says Man City have beaten Utd to Sneijder
  
• News: Man City draft in Pantilimon as keeper cover
  
• News: No United bid for Sneijder - Inter
  
• News: Noisy neighbours Man City to turn up Wembley volume
  

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has confirmed that Sergio Aguero will only be fit to start on the bench in Sunday's Community Shield match against Manchester United.

Aguero, the £38 million summer signing from Atletico Madrid, has been struggling with blistered feet in recent weeks as a result of his exploits in the recent Copa America.

But, having come through a short 20-minute training session on Thursday, he has been passed fit to be involved in the matchday squad for the season curtain-raiser against the club's arch-rivals at Wembley.

"Sergio is okay," Mancini said. "He is not 100% ready but he is fit to come on the bench."

Aguero is one of four summer signings the club have made so far, with Gael Clichy joining from Premier League rivals Arsenal, young defender Stefan Savic being drafted in from Partizan Belgrade, and former Timisoara goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon adding goalkeeping cover. But with the likes of Jerome Boateng leaving and Patrick Vieira retiring over the summer, Mancini believes he could still do with three more signings.

"We are missing other players, we don't have enough players for all the season," Mancini said. "This is a problem at the moment.

"I think we need another two or three players."

Mancini does not believe fans should read too much into the eventual result of the match against United, although he concedes the nature of the rivalry between the two clubs means neither can affort not to take it seriously.

"It is the first official match of the season," he said. "It is important because it is a derby and we want to win, like United. But I don't think the teams at the moment are 100% ready to play."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.