Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero hopes to end a frustrating spell on the sidelines by bolstering the Premier League leaders' attack against Liverpool on Saturday.
Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge has declared himself "fit and ready" for the Etihad Stadium clash after time out with a knee problem and Aguero hopes to offer a similar boost to his manager, Manuel Pellegrini.
The Argentina star has missed City's past seven games in all competitions after suffering a hamstring injury on international duty at the start of October.
On his previous club outing, Aguero sensationally fired five goals in a 6-1 thrashing of Newcastle United.
"I do hope I can play in this game," he told City's official website, having returned to full training this week.
"I'm doing everything in my power to get to the match in top condition.
"It's been a frustrating time. Obviously the game against Newcastle was special because it's not every week you get to score five goals in one game.
"The only other occasion I remember scoring five in a single match was when I was 12.
"I was playing in the pre-youth divisions for Independiente and it was the first important tournament that I'd participated in. We played against a local team and won 7-0 and I scored five times but it doesn't happen too often, does it?"
Aguero's return would be timely for Pellegrini and City in light of fellow striker Wilfried Bony suffering a hamstring strain of his own last time out in the 0-0 draw at Aston Villa.
Another hamstrung player facing a fitness battle to play in the fixture is James Milner, who will aim to make a first return to Eastlands with Liverpool after five successful seasons in Manchester.
"Regarding James, I read that, unfortunately, he suffered an injury," Aguero said. "I hope he's able to recover.
"He's a great player though it will be odd to see him wearing another team's colours.
"He is a true professional and I'm sure he's going to come against us with everything he's got. It should be a great game."
