Agüero was dropped for “tactical” reasons because Guardiola said he wanted more bodies in midfield, with the manager instead opting to play Kevin De Bruyne as a false nine, but the move backfired as the Premier League leaders crashed to a 4-0 defeat at the Nou Camp to extend their winless run to four games.

It was the second successive game, after Everton, in which Agüero began on the substitutes’ bench, and while Guardiola claimed the player had taken the decision well, the Argentina forward was shocked when the manager informed him of the news on Wednesday afternoon and he did not warm-up with the rest of his team-mates before the game.

Agüero had hoped to be introduced at half-time with City trailing 1-0 and Barcelona’s defence depleted by first half injuries to Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique but he was forced to wait until the 79th minute, by which point the game was lost, before he was brought on.