It was a crying shame, not only for Manchester City fans but football lovers worldwide, to see a tearful Sergio Aguero hobble off against Everton.
His game was over after just barely two minutes and there was no one to blame, no one to criticise, as he became a victim of football’s cruel fate with a knee ligament injury picked up innocuously.
The sympathy came from all quarters because with 19 goals this season – 30 in 33 Premier League games – Aguero was in the zone and his reputation enhanced with every outing and every outstanding effort. But there’s one difference between him and Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the players he wants to surpass as the best in the world, and that is his injury record.
Whether it’s minor or major, Aguero spends too much time on the sidelines and there is always a worry about his physical fragility.
It was a year ago that he was similarly forced out for a month with a calf problem after a stunning spell of 15 goals in 13 games – a run that ironically started against Everton.
At times he was unplayable and unstoppable, and provided unforgettable moments. But City went undefeated, winning seven games and drawing an FA Cup tie at Blackburn, in Aguero’s absence. Oh, and they scored 22 goals too.
That’s what they should reflect upon when they head to Roma for Wednesday’s crucial Champions League game without their inspirational striker to lead their line – and doubts about whether they can make the last 16.
Being branded, and mocked, as a one-man team should fire up players whose own contributions are belittled or deemed irrelevant.
For all the matchwinning individual brilliance and value of an Aguero, Messi, Ronaldo, Luis Suarez or Arjen Robben, it takes a team to triumph.
And City are showing they are just that again. To lose your star man so early against a difficult foe such as Everton and see an 18-year-old, Jose Pozo, replace him could have been damaging mentally.
But the trust and belief that manager Manuel Pellegrini and his players often talk about was evident here. They regrouped and responded in the manner of champions and showed they are a resourceful unit with a single-minded approach to achieving success.
It is what they will need in the Italian capital and vindicate Pellegrini’s faith in them.
He took a risk by allowing strikers Alvaro Negredo and John Guidetti to leave on loan in the August transfer window, but now Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic need to show that was the right decision.
“It is the moment for those players to try and demonstrate why they are here,” he said, after the Everton encounter as he pondered life without Aguero for a while. But he was not just referring to Dzeko or Jovetic.
Given the loss of the suspended Yaya Toure and David Silva likely to be on the bench after injury, Jesus Navas, James Milner and Samir Nasri particularly need to produce world-class displays of which they are capable.
The trio impressed against Everton with their work ethic as well as their creativity and Pellegrini will need a repeat performance.
This Roma tie and the next month – a period when the domestic title race is often shaped – is the moment of truth for the club.
Injuries cannot be an excuse for under-achievement.
