• Premier League

Pellegrini: Jovetic will prove his quality

ESPN staff
July 28, 2014
Manuel Pellegrini delighted at rampant City

Manuel Pellegrini insists that "important" striker Stevan Jovetic will remain at the club and prove just how good a player he is after Manchester City dismantled AC Milan 5-1 in Pittsburgh.

Jovetic, who signed from Fiorentina for £22 million last summer, endured a frustrating first season for the club making only two Premier League appearances.

But his two goals against a disappointing Milan side revealed why Pellegrini is unwilling to part with the striker, who has been heavily linked with a return to Italy.

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"Stevan is working well with us," Pellegrini said. "He is a very important player for our team. Maybe there are a lot of rumours about his future but Stevan will stay with us.

"Stevan had a very bad luck last year, he had a lot of injuries the whole year, so it's very difficult for a player to have an important performance when he cannot play three games in a row.

"In this year he starts the pre-season - well he finished last as well - playing well and now he works continually every day he will demonstrate why he's here in Manchester City because he's a very good player."

Expectations of Jovetic's role for the Premier League champions may have been increased after Alvaro Negredo was ruled out for two months with a broken leg.

His contribution to City's emphatic win will have encouraged Pellegrini and City fans alike as his neat finish put them ahead after 12 minutes.

Further goals from Jesus Navas, Kelechi Iheanacho and forgotten man Scott Sinclair effectively ended the game as a contest after 20 minutes before Sulley Muntari scored Milan's consolation before the break.

Yet City, who were without the quartet of Joe Hart, David Silva, Yaya Toure and James Milner, completed the rout on 58 minutes as Jovetic smartly converted Aleksandar Kolarov's cross.

Stevan Jovetic scored two goals against Milan, just one less than he managed in the whole of last season © Getty Images
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