Manchester City are sitting pretty with a 3 – 1 lead over Dynamo Kyiv thanks to an impressive first leg of the 2016 UEFA Champions League round of 16, with game 2 hopefully leading Manuel Pellegrini’s side to the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time.
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“Unfortunately, Vincent has a muscle injury again in his calf”, said Pellegrini. “We’ll know more tomorrow or maybe the day after tomorrow how important it is, but always a muscle injury is minimum of one month”.
Kompany has seen his season destroyed by fitness problems, having played just 19 of 46 matches, while his latest calf injury is the 14th he has suffered since arriving at the Etihad Stadium in 2008.
“I think he must be very strong with his mentality. We’re not going to play with the score we got in Kiev, we’re just going to say its 0-0 and try to win the game”.
The Belgian was immediately ruled out for at least a month, dealing a big blow to City ahead of Sunday’s derby against Manchester United and as they look to secure a top-four finish in the Barclays Premier League.
Olexandr Yakovenko should have won the game for Kiev on the night with the last kick of the game, but his close-range strike was well saved by Hart who preserved his clean sheet. “It is the same injury”, said Pellegrini.
“It is a very important achievement for the club”, Pellegrini told BT Sport.
City’s worries worsened midway through the first half at the Etihad Stadium when Kompany’s central defensive partner Nicolas Otamendi also hobbled off.
Toure will partner Fernandinho in central midfield, sitting behind the trio of David Silva, Raheem Sterling and Jesus Navas, with Sergio Aguero operating as the lone striker up front.
“It was the sixth game, but he had not felt any problems before the games, so I think it was not a risk and bad luck only”.
“It’s a target we’ve had for a number of years now and we’ve got ourselves in a good position”.
Midfielder Yaya Toure is set to return for City after missing Saturday’s goalless draw at Norwich with a heel injury.
City’s quarter-final opponents are likely to ask more pressing questions of their rearguard than Dynamo managed in a dour encounter and Pellegrini believes one potential foe stands out as the main danger in Friday’s draw.
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“I think all the other teams are similar competition”. Yet progress beyond the last 16 in five seasons in the Champions League has eluded them – until now.
