Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has reported good progress as he works his way towards a return to action against Liverpool a week from Saturday. Aguero has not played for City since scoring five times in the 6-1 demolition of Newcastle on Oct. 3, sustaining a hamstring injury soon after while on international duty with Argentina.

SEE MORE: Top 10 soccer podcasts.

Following Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Aston Villa, City boss Manuel Pellegrini, who saw striker Wilfried Bony limp off in that game with a hamstring injury of his own, expressed his hope Aguero would be making an imminent comeback to full training with the squad. And having subsequently on Monday posted on Twitter pictures of himself training alone outdoors and indoors accompanied by the message “giving it my all on recovery work.” Aguero told City’s official website on Tuesday: “I don’t think I’m too far away now.

“Physically, I feel good and I’ve kept as fit as I can during my lay-off.”

The Liverpool game at the Etihad Stadium is City’s next fixture. And Aguero said:

“I still need to work hard for another week and if not this week, then maybe next, I hope to start training with the rest of the lads and so my target is Liverpool.

“I’ll take things slowly and not rush into anything, but I’m not far away.”

City currently lead the Barclays Premier League on goal difference ahead of second place Arsenal, and the 27-year-old added: “We need to focus on what we’ve been doing and keep it going because we have an important game coming up against Liverpool and the result at Aston Villa wasn’t exactly what we’d wanted.”

Meanwhile, Press Association Sport understands the reason City captain Vincent Kompany did not take part in full training with Belgium on Tuesday was not an injury but because he did a recovery session instead, owing to the fact he had played on Sunday. Kompany’s fitness was a hot topic from the last international break, with Pellegrini expressing his unhappiness that the defender had played for his country after missing five City games with a calf problem.