Sergio Aguero to make retirement announcement as Barcelona prepare farewell

Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero is set to announce his retirement from football on Wednesday due to a heart condition.

The 33-year-old was forced off 42 minutes into his first home start for the Catalan club against Alaves in October and was taken to hospital due to breathing difficulties.

The former Manchester City star was visibly struggling towards the end of the first half, laying down after clashing with an opponent in the penalty area.

Aguero returned to his feet and was assisted off the pitch but has been unable to return to training since due to ongoing medical treatment and monitoring.

There were reports that the striker's retirement could be imminent due to being diagnosed with a heart condition and it appears that such a decision is sadly set to be announced this week.

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El Chiringuito presenter Jose Alvarez Haya later reported that his heart rate was much higher than it should have been.

Barcelona issued a statement following the incident that read: "The player Kun Aguero has undergone a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure by Dr. Josep Brugada.

"He is out and for the next three months the effectiveness of the treatment will be evaluated to determine his recovery process."

Aguero said after he was taken to hospital: "I am well and in good spirits to face the recovery process. I want to thank you all for so many messages of support and love that make my heart stronger today."

The initial updates claimed that Aguero would sit out three months of football while his medical condition was assessed by experts before any firm decision would be made on his future.

A report from Radio Marca claims that an announcement is being prepared for Friday that will confirm Aguero's retirement from football.

It is claimed that the arrhythmia uncovered by the medical tests will force Aguero to terminate his professional career, aged 33.

The report claims that while previous reports that a decision had been made to end the Argentine striker's career were premature, they were based on the medical reality and concerns from those monitoring his situation.

Aguero only joined Barca this summer as a free agent from Manchester City but was limited to just 165 minutes of first-team action for the club.

He was unable to be registered immediately due to the club's precarious financial position and not being within their wage cap as proposed by La Liga.

The Argentine then suffered a calf injury that prevented him for playing through the opening months of the campaign.

Aguero then returned to action but only featured in four matches for the Catalan giants, scoring just one goal - a consolation against Real Madrid in October's El Clasico defeat.

Aguero scored a club-record 260 goals for Manchester City - whom he joined from Atletico Madrid in 2011 - winning 12 major trophies over the past decade.