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Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has ruled top scorer Sergio Aguero out of next week's derby against Manchester United.
Aguero was expected to be out for around a fortnight after suffering a hamstring injury early in last week's Champions League defeat in Barcelona.
That made him a doubt for next Tuesday's Old Trafford clash anyway but Pellegrini has now admitted there is "no chance" of him making the short trip across town.
Aguero, who has scored 26 goals for title-challenging City this season, is now targeting a return in the game at Arsenal the following Saturday.
Pellegrini said: "We don't know yet, but maybe next week he will start working with the squad.
"I don't think the whole week, maybe at the end of the week he can be with the squad starting training."
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 Edin Dzeko celebrates after putting City in front
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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 dribbles past John Stones
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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 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 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 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 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 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 David Silva celebrates his opening goal
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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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When asked directly if the Argentinian, who scored the winner at Old Trafford last season, could face United, Pellegrini said: "For United, no, no chance."
Pellegrini, who was speaking at a press conference to preview this weekend's home game against Fulham, was also asked about fresh rumours linking Aguero with a move to Barcelona.
Pellegrini said: "It is exactly the same as I respond to all the other links during the whole year.
"We cannot talk every week about the players that are coming here to Manchester City and the players that are going out.
"He is a player of Manchester City, he is very happy here and the club is very happy with him also."
Pellegrini has also revealed his concern about the knee injury that continues to keep defender Matija Nastasic on the sidelines.
The Serbia international has missed the last eight games in all competitions having been out longer than initially expected.
Pellegrini said: "He continues with some pain in his knee. He has at least a couple more weeks to recover.
"Of course we are concerned because the doctor doesn't know what happened with him.
"He made all the exams that he needs but we don't know what happened with him.
"We are taking other opinions. The doctor is in charge of that.
"The player feels a pain inside the knee but nobody knows what the pain is."
Another defender, captain Vincent Kompany, also misses the visit of Fulham through suspension after his sending off at Hull last week.
On a more positive note, striker Stevan Jovetic is included in the squad after a hamstring problem.
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