Sergio Aguero has vowed to work hard over the remainder of the season to prove beyond doubt his future lies at Manchester City.
City's top scorer has been among the substitutes for the last two Premier League games while impressive new signing Gabriel Jesus, who struck both goals in Sunday's 2-1 defeat of Swansea, has led the line.
That has sparked fresh speculation that Aguero could leave but the player himself, who has scored 154 goals since joining City in 2011, is determined to stay and fight for his place.
City are also adamant the 28-year-old will not be leaving in the summer. A senior club source has told Press Association Sport City have no intention of letting the Argentina striker, who is contracted until 2020, go.
That backs up previous remarks by manager Pep Guardiola, who has said a number of times that Aguero's City future lies in his own hands.
Speaking after the Swansea game, Aguero said: "Sometimes this happens. When you're on the bench you have to wait for your opportunity.
"I have three months to do my best and try to help the team and we'll see what happens with my future."
Asked if he had thought about leaving, Aguero said: "No, no. I have to help the team as much as I can in these three months, afterwards we'll see what the club wants to do with me.
"In three years my contract is up, that's why I say I'm happy at the club. In these last three months that are left I have to help the club and as I say the club will decide if I have a place here or not. I want to stay, of course."
If those remarks themselves create room for doubt, City are unequivocal that what they want to do with Aguero is keep him.
For now, however, Aguero might have to wait for his opportunity after another highly effective by 19-year-old Jesus.
The £27million signing from Palmeiras opened the scoring for City in a dominant first-half display by the hosts at Etihad Stadium before netting a stoppage-time winner after Gylfi Sigurdsson bagged an unexpected equaliser.
Guardiola admits he has been surprised by how quickly Jesus has adapted to life in England.
He said: "For the last two to three years he never had a break, he played a lot of games in Brazil. I said, 'Take your time, come back when you are ready'.
"But he is 19 years old, Brazilian, physically strong, he needs few training sessions to be ready. He told me, 'I am never tired, I am always fit, I recover quick'. His father and mother gave him this talent.
"Now we have to protect him but everybody is a bit surprised by his level."
Guardiola said there was no issue with Aguero.
Asked what the striker's reaction to being named on the bench was, Guardiola said: "It is perfect, don't worry about that - but of course he wants to play."
City's victory lifted them to third in the table.
Guardiola said: "We were close not to winning the game at 1-1 but I think in 90 minutes we deserved to win in terms of chances. The gap (in performance) between the first and second half was too big."
Swansea were unfortunate not to hold on after weathering the storm and then getting within moments of claiming an unlikely point.
Manager Paul Clement also took issue with City's winner, querying a free-kick in the build-up.
He said: "My opinion is that it wasn't a foul. Okay, you can get those or not - but it is the restart I am disappointed about. It was 10 metres deeper than it should have been, in a more central position, and the ball is rolling.
"Ultimately there is an error defensively but it I don't think it should have got to that point.
"We'd done enough over the 90 minutes to warrant the draw. I don't think we deserved to win but a draw would have been fair."
Source: PA
