MANCHESTER -- Sergio Aguero is set to make his Manchester City comeback against Premier League title rivals Arsenal on Monday after recovering from injury, but manager Manuel Pellegrini has ruled out captain Vincent Kompany.
Aguero, 27, missed City's last four games with the heel problem he sustained in the 3-1 win over Southampton on Nov. 28, but returned to full training this week.
The Argentina international is set to be in the City squad at the Emirates Stadium with Pellegrini facing a decision whether the Golden Boot winner is ready to start.
"Kun [Aguero] is working with the squad," the Chilean coach said in a news conference. "We will assess if he is 100 percent or not but he is working without problems. I think he will be in the squad."
But City will be without four players with captain Kompany joined on the sidelines by Pablo Zabaleta, Fernando and former Arsenal player Samir Nasri.
Captain Kompany will sit out an eighth consecutive match with a calf injury, but is due to resume training next week.
"He is improving," Pellegrini said. "I hope next week he will start working with the squad."
Right-back Zabaleta, who has a knee injury, has not played since October but is also on course to make his comeback soon.
"I hope next week he will start with the whole squad," Pellegrini said.
Midfielder Fernando remains out with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the 2-0 defeat to Stoke while Nasri is sidelined with a hamstring problem that keep him out until April.
City are third and Arsenal second but Pellegrini insisted their meeting is not a title decider, adding: "It is not a decisive game because after that we have to play 21 games more.
"But it is important to demonstrate who is the best team of the first round and to play against the team who is one point above our team. It is a game of six points."