Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has told the Manchester Evening News newspaper that Montenegrin striker Stevan Jovetic will add a new dimension to Manchester City’s attack once he returns to action.
Since joining from Fiorentina last summer for £22 million the striker has been plagued by a series of injuries and just as he was ready to return he got struck down with an illness.
Tonight could see him back for City’s Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg against West Ham, but it will most likely be as one of the players on the substitute bench.
The 24-year-old was one of the stars of Italy’s Serie A often being compared to Italian star Roberto Baggio and big things were expected of him in the Premiership yet hamstring and calf problems have kept him out injured.
People have been questioning if his not being able to play was purely physical and perhaps some thing to do with his mental state as well.
Pellegrini however claims that he has just been a victim of “bad luck.”
The City boss aired on the side of caution when asked if he would feature in the match at Upton Park despite completing two full training sessions leading to the Chilean manager to say: “We’ll see what happens with Stevan in the next few days, it’s an important chance for him to come back to play but I don’t think he’ll be able to play from the beginning or play 90 minutes.
“He came here with the illusion of playing in the Premier League,” he said.
“He was a very important player in Italy for Fiorentina and I still believe he will be a very important player for us.
“He can really start playing often in the next three months and I think he can be the player we hoped he would be.
“It’s very difficult to be happy when you’re not playing and you have so many injuries but he’s conscious that he will be 100 per cent fit and demonstrate why he’s here.”
City has not missed Jovetic so far as their prolific goal scoring has shown but with Jovetic also of playing an attacking midfield role he could provide Pellegrini with a replacement for the inured Samir Nasri.
“Stevan can play as a forward or a midfielder – it’s a position he played sometimes at Fiorentina. We’ll see when he’s fit if he can do it,” said Pellegrini.
In case you have forgotten just how good a player Jovetic is have a look at the video below.
