Sergio Aguero is struggling to make the start of the season for Manchester City , reports Steve Bates from Melbourne .

The Argentinian striker has yet to return from his summer break after playing in the Copa America , which saw his homeland lose the final to Chile on July 4.

Boss Manuel Pellegrini is committed to giving Aguero and his fellow countrymen Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis a 30-day break from their last match.

That means the trio won’t be ready for the start of the new Premier League season, which begins for the Blues away at West Brom on Monday, August 10.

Pellegrini will be hoping Aguero can quickly get up to speed with City entertaining champions Chelsea at the Etihad six days later.

National treasures: Demichelis and Zabaleta on Copa America duty with some guy called Messi

He said: “I think in football it’s so important to work hard - but also resting has the same importance.

“You have so many games throughout the year, that if you don’t give them 30 days after they’ve finished their internationals, it’s very difficult for them to work hard.

“The internationals that came to Australia started one week later but they should arrive in their best shape for the start of the Premier League.

“It’s more difficult for the South American players because Pablo Zabaleta , Martin Demichelis, Sergio Aguero and [Brazil midfielder] Fernandinho , they finished later, the first days of July, so they won’t have 30 days.

“I think when we return to Manchester they will start their pre-season and maybe they will not be involved in the first game.

“But I am sure they will work hard and will be involved as soon as they can.”

Mo money mo problems: Pellegrini has to cope with big-name stars being away on international duty

Meanwhile, Pellegrini has revealed his stars are angry and motivated for revenge after their title defence collapsed last season, allowing Chelsea to succeed them as champions.

He said: “I’m seeing they are angry and a little bit wounded because of what happened last season, so I am sure that we are going to see a very competitive team.

“And we are going to see a performance again from some players that maybe last year were not in their best moment. We are going to see them again as very competitive players and a very competitive team.”

An experimental City side lost 4-1 to Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly at the MCG in Melbourne on Friday.

The decision to play 16-year-old Cameron Humphreys and Jason Denayer, a 20-year-old who has never played for the Blues' first team, at the heart of defence was always fraught with danger against Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.

And the men from the Bernabeu took full advantage, running riot on a night when it all went wrong for City – and debut star Fabian Delph.

The £8million debutant went off early on with a hamstring injury, later hobbled on to City's team bus and could now miss the start of the season.

But Delph will fly on to Vietnam with the squad for the tour finale in Hanoi on Monday rather than be sent straight home.

In pictures - City 1-4 Real Madrid