Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is fit and available again after his latest injury setback, but manager Manuel Pellegrini has admitted that there are no guarantees the player will remain fit for the title run-in after his patchy record this season.
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The 29-year-old has played just nine minutes in City’s last 20 games in all competitions – an abortive comeback against Sunderland on Boxing Day.
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has reminded his team-mates not to give up on their dream of winning the Premier League because they have come from behind to lift the trophy in the past. For our team, it’s important to try to return to the top of the table. He played 45 minutes in a friendly with the under-21s so I think that he is ready now to play’.
“I want to achieve greatness, like anyone else in this industry, and I want to be allowed to just play all the games, like (against Tottenham) – we didn’t win but I enjoyed it”. They have lost six of the 16 in which he has not featured.
City still have major injury problems with Bacary Sagna, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas, Kevin de Bruyne and Wilfried Bony all sidelined.
Pellegrini said: “It is hard when you have so many players injured and in the same position”.
Pellegrini added: ‘If we don’t play well maybe we are criticised but I’m very happy with the answers from the squad this season.
City suffered another set-back in the Premier League title race with the costly defeat at the Etihad Stadium – their seventh of the league campaign. “There were not too many in such a close game but the penalty was very important”, he told Sky Sports.
“Fabian Delph is worse because he has a problem with his Achilles tendon”. He needs six or seven weeks to recover.
“There’s always that part that people don’t see, the thing you do behind the scenes, and for me it’s been grafting and just making sure I get the most out of the rest of this season and the rest of my years where I can be at the top”.
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For the time being at least, Pellegrini and City’s medical staff are satisfied with Kompany’s progress after several solid weeks of work with no further relapses or other issues.
