Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony has revealed that he contracted malaria ahead of this season.
Bony replaced the injured Sergio Aguero in Manuel Pellegrini's XI to face AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, scoring twice in a 5-1 victory.
The Ivorian – who made just two Premier League starts for City last season after struggling with injury - claimed a bout of the illness kept him out of the club's pre-season tour to Australia and Vietnam.
However, he is keen to look forward and keep making an impact in the first team.
"I got malaria from Africa when I was coming back but I am okay now," Bony said on Saturday.
"It has been four years now that I didn't make pre-season. Sometimes it happens like this, that you have the worst time and get a lot of injuries, then other times you are just happy.
"I feel I have turned the corner. I have had a lot of injuries and been sick, and feel that is all away from me now.
"I just want to do my job, do my best in training and score when I get my chance in the match. Every striker is happy when he scores, especially when the team wins."
City are at home to Sevilla in the Champions League on Tuesday.
