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Fernando is ready and willing to step into the breach as Manchester City rev up for the start of the new Premier League season.

The Blues midfielder is in line to start the season after Fabian Delph damaged a hamstring and Manuel Pellegrini revealed Fernandinho is unlikely to be ready for the opening day.

Fernando took some stick last season as his £12million move from Porto, which began so promisingly, became a difficult debut campaign.

But Fernando puts his troubles down to a groin injury – that brought an abrupt end to his fine start to the season – and his eagerness to return which led to him playing in pain.

This time, he has had a solid pre-season in Australia and Vietnam, and after visiting the SOS Children's Villages in Hanoi, revealed his determination to justify his transfer fee.

“It was a very difficult year but I'm very optimistic about the start of the new season and I want to get going as quickly as possible,” he said.

“For me the thing about last season was that I played a lot of the games with pain. That limited my capabilities. Now I feel 100 per cent fit and I'm just looking forward to getting going again.

“The problem I had last year was the groin. Every time I ran it was painful.”

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He returned to action five weeks after picking up the injury during the home defeat by Stoke in August – and looking back, that was too soon.

“When you get into a big team with such an opportunity you want to give your best,” he said. “That’s what I tried to do last season. Obviously it didn’t go very well for me because of the pain but I’m looking forward to giving my best again now.”

Fernando was happy to mingle with the delighted orphans in Hanoi, and it no doubt reminded hi of his own separations from his family.

At the age of 16 he left his home in Alto Paraiso to live 400kms away in Goiania, where he joined the Vila Nova club.

Obviously that does not compare to the plight of the Hanoi orphans, but Fernando was pleased to spread a bit of joy.

“I'm very pleased to be making the children happy - we had a good time down there,” he said

“I had a quiet childhood. I was fighting for my dream. My family helped a lot to fulfil those dreams. I was one of seven children, four girls and three boys.

“My life was not really hard. The only tough thing was that I had to live in a different place so we couldn’t be together. Apart from that my upbringing was quiet and smooth.”