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Kompany out for six weeks, Aguero doubt

Raffael and Fabian Johnson combined for the United States of America global to test Claudio Bravo in the seventh minute and Andre Schubert’s team were increasingly encouraged by a disjointed City showing before taking the lead midway through the first half.

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has refused to rule out a long term stay with his new club, insisting he is “so happy”. “We are in the Europa League now – that was our aim, and we have done it”.

“Yaya can play in many positions but I think we have other options to play at centre-back”.

“You know that this league is very hard physically and mentally, and I think that at any time the manager may need me there to help, because of the experience that I have and that I know what the manager wants”. The Premier League is a big challenge for us, let alone anything else, but when you are playing the super-power teams it really is a massive challenge.

One concern for Guardiola is that City failed to win any of their group games away from home.

Andre Schubert’s men were the makers of their own downfall after they lost a lead, not for the first time this season.

“What happened in Barcelona happened once, and that was because we had a lot of problems”. I’m not a guy who complains so much, believe me.

Many football fans want Manchester City’s injury-prone Vincent Kompany to hang up his boots for good.

Club captain Kompany has been ravaged by fitness problems over recent seasons and sustained medial knee ligament damage on his latest return to the starting XI, when he landed awkwardly following a collision with his goalkeeper Claudio Bravo during last Saturday’s 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Managing the players workload is crucial, which is why Guardiola has expressed happiness that the last Champions League match against Celtic is essentially meaningless.

Guardiola said: “I didn’t speak with him”.

“His teammates love him”. However, Monday’s 4-0 loss at West Bromwich Albion was a sobering experience for manager Sean Dyche and his players.

City were some way short of the standard that saw them topple Barcelona earlier this month and the match was a stop-start affair with both sides having a man sent off.

Manchester City have scored the highest tally (15) and proportion (56%) of their goals away from home in the Premier League this season.

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As for City’s chances of getting beyond the last 16, on the evidence of last night’s display they’ll struggle with their defence once more looking fragile as they conceded an eighth away goal in three European matches, against the team that lies 14th in the Bundesliga.

Bacary Sagna filled in for Kompany at centre-back against Crystal Palace