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Manchester City top scorer Sergio Aguero will miss the title favourites' crunch clash with Aston Villa on Wednesday, manager Manuel Pellegrini has said.
Argentina international Aguero, who has been plagued by injuries in the second half of the season, limped out of Saturday's victory at Everton with a groin problem.
City can move two points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League with just one game to play if they beat Villa at the Etihad Stadium.
Pellegrini said: "He couldn't recover 100 per cent from his groin problem, so he is not in the squad list."
Aguero, who scored his 28th goal of the campign before leaving the field in the 3-2 win at Goodison Park, has missed 18 of City's last 31 games with various leg muscle injuries.
The 25-year-old, however, has not yet been ruled out of Sunday's season finale at home to West Ham.
Manuel Pellegrini speaks to Samir Nasri during the 3-2 win over Everton (Getty Images)
Pellegrini said: "Maybe he can have some chances, we will see the way he improves during the week.
"It was not 100 per cent sure if he was completely fit for tomorrow, that is why I didn't want to have a risk with him, but we will see during the week if he can play on Sunday."
Pellegrini does not accept the claim of his Liverpool counterpart Brendan Rodgers that the title race is effectively over and settled in City's favour.
Manchester City: The latest match picturesShow all 70 1 /70Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1 James Milner of Manchester City scores his team's second goal to take a 2-1 lead
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1 James Milner celebrates scoring his team's first goal
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 0 Yaya Toure rounds off the scoring for City after a superb solo run
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 0 Stevan Jovetic celebrates after getting on the score sheet with City's third
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 0 Samir Nasri misses a good chance for City
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 0 Vincent Kompany and Samir Nasri celebrate with Edin Dzeko after his second goal of the night
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 0 Edin Dzeko celebrates after putting City in front
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 0 Edin Dzeko wheels away after opening the scoring for City
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 0 Edin Dzeko scores the opening goal past Brad Guzan
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 0 Joe Hart prepares himself for the game
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Everton 1 Manchester City 1 Sergio Aguero fires home City's equaliser
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Everton 1 Manchester City 1 Sergio Aguero dribbles past John Stones
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Everton 1 Manchester City 1 Ross Barkley celebrates after opening the scoring with a superb strike
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2 Jason Puncheon is challenged by Aleksandar Kolarov
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2 Referee Howard Webb looks on as Samir Nasri shields the ball from Mile Jedinak and Adrian Mariappa
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2 Yaya Toure celebrates his goal
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2 Yaya Toure finishes in style after a powerful run to put City two in front
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2 Marouane Chamakh is upended by Pablo Zabaleta
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2 Edin Dzeko celebrates after breaking the deadlock within five minutes and giving City the lead
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2 Edin Dzeko heads home City's opener
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 2 Sunderland 2 Samir Nasri clutches his shirt and looks to the heavens after missing the chance to rescue a victory for Manchester City
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 2 Sunderland 2 Vito Mannone fails to keep out Samir Nasri's late strike as the midfielder equalises for City
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 2 Sunderland 2 Connor Wickham celebrates scoring for the second time
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 2 Sunderland 2 Connor Wickham scores to pull Sunderland back into the tie
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 2 Sunderland 2 Fernandinho gives Manchester City the lead with a second-minute striker past Vito Mannone
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Liverpool 3 Manchester City 2 Philippe Coutinho fires in Liverpool's winner
Manchester City: The latest match pictures Liverpool 3 Manchester City 2 David Silva pulls one back for Manchester City
Manchester City: The latest match pictures Liverpool 3 Manchester City 2 Martin Skrtel heads in Liverpool's second
Manchester City: The latest match pictures Liverpool 3 Manchester City 2 Raheem Sterling celebrates his opening goal with Luis Suarez
Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 Stevan Jovetic is congratulated by Samir Nasri after scoring City's fourth
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 Joe Hart makes a diving save
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 Edin Dzeko celebrates with David Silva after scoring City's third just before halftime
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 Edin Dzeko heads in a goal to give City a 3-1 lead
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 Samir Nasri celebrates with his teammates after putting City back in front
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 Southampton players celebrate after Rickie Lambert's equaliser from the penalty spot
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 Rickie Lambert fires home a penalty to bring Southampton level
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 England attacker Jay Rodriguez is injured and has to go off on a stretcher
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 Yaya Toure puts City ahead from the spot
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 4 Southampton 1 Referee Chris Foy points to the penalty spot after Edin Dzeko is brought down
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 Edin Dzeko can't believe his that deflected effort goes wide
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 Mathieu Flamini celebrates his equaliser for the Gunners
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 Mathieu Flamini celebrates after putting Arsenal level
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 Olivier Giroud remonstrates with referee Mike Dean
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 Mikel Arteta plays the ball past Jesus Navas
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 0 Manchester City 1 Tomas Rosicky battles for the ball with Yaya Toure
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 Martin Demichelis confronts Tomas Rosicky after the Arsenal player's tackle leaves Gael Clichy injured
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 The Arsenal players walk back to half way line looking dejected after conceding the opening goal
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 David Silva and Edin Dzeko celebrate after the Spaniard's opening goal
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 Yaya Toure holds off Santi Cazorla
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Arsenal 1 Manchester City 1 Fernandinho holds off the challenge of Mathieu Flamini
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester United 0 Manchester City 3 Edin Dzeko celebrates one of his two goals at Old Trafford - both of which came early at the start of each half
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester United 0 Manchester City 3 David De Gea looks dejected after conceding to Manchester City
Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester United 0 Manchester City 3 Marouane Fellaini is taken off, much to the delight of United fans after another abject performance
Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester United 0 Manchester City 3 England team-mates Joe Hart and Dnny Welbeck come together
Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester United 0 Manchester City 3 Jesus Navas sees his cross blocked by Patrice Evra
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester United 0 Manchester City 3 Yaya Toure sweeps in his side's third goal late in the match
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 5 Fulham 0 Martin Demichelis rounds off the scoring for City
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 5 Fulham 0 Yaya Toure celebrates his second goal of the afternoon
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Manchester City 5 Fulham 0 Yaya Toure converts his first penalty
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Manchester City 2 Edin Dzeko celebrates with David Silva and Jesus Navas
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Manchester City 2 Edin Dzeko scores City's second
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Manchester City 2 George Boyd and Joe Hart have to be separated after a bust up
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Manchester City 2 David Silva celebrates his opening goal
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Manchester City 2 Vincent Kompany receives a red card for a tackle on Nikica Jelavic
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Barcelona 2 Manchester City 1 Gerard Pique goes up for a head with Vincent Kompany
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Barcelona 2 Manchester City 1 Lionel Messi celebrates after opening the scoring in this Champions League second-leg match
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Barcelona 2 Manchester City 1 Joe Hart saves at the feet of Cesc Fabregas
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Barcelona 2 Manchester City 1 Aleksandar Kolarov does his best to stop Neymar
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Barcelona 2 Manchester City 1 Sergio Aguero pictured at the Nou Camp
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Manchester City: The latest match pictures Barcelona 2 Manchester City 1 David Silva in action at the Nou Camp
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Liverpool squandered the chance to apply considerable pressure to favourites City as they surrendered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 at Crystal Palace on Monday night.
The result still took the Reds to the top of the table, but the initiative, because of their game in hand, is now clearly with City.
Pellegrini said: "I really don't know what Brendan said. I only know we have two games and we have to win the game against Aston Villa.
"At the end of the week we will see which team has more points."
Pellegrini, speaking at a press conference to preview the visit of Villa, claimed he did not watch Liverpool's dramatic late capitulation against Palace when they conceded three times in the last 11 minutes.
When asked about the result, the Chilean said: "I feel it is just one result more in the Premier League.
"In the Premier League it is very difficult to win the games.
"You cannot be sure you are winning until the end, until the last minute."
PA
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