Dynamo Kiev’s Ukrainian defender Yevhen Khacheridi (L) vies with Manchester City’s English midfielder Raheem Sterling during a UEFA Champions League last 16, second leg football match between Manchester City and Dynamo Kiev at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 15, 2016.
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Injuries to Kompany and fellow center back Nicolas Otamendi, who hobbled off in the 23rd after a clash of knees, were the major incidents in a soporific match as City advanced with the minimum of concern but without impressing, either. We will know tomorrow how important the injury is.
While Pellegrini is hopeful that Otamendi will recover quickly, Belgium worldwide Kompany faces a longer stretch on the sidelines after injuring his calf for the 14th time since 2008.
“It is very hard to accept it, but there is nothing he can do”.
Both first-choice centre-backs Vincent Kompany and Nicolás Otamendi had to be substituted in the first half of the game. “We will see how far we can go in this competition”.
“The last two seasons we were very unlucky to have the draw in the round of 16”, Pellegrini said. “He has no problems”, the Chilean told reporters on Monday.
“We want the title, but we have to take into account that United are right behind us and it will be a tough game”.
“We normally are a team that always scores”.
City have seen their title hopes slip away in recent weeks due to poor results, with just four wins in their last 10 league games leaving them trailing table-toppers Leicester by 12 points with nine games left.
Vincent Kompany is nearly certain to miss the Manchester derby this weekend after a recurrence of a calf injury that could keep him out for at least a month.
He added: “I’m very happy for the achievement because it’s important for this club to continue improving every season”.
“Well, we were drawn against Barcelona the previous two years and they knocked us out”.
City will now hope for a favourable draw in the quarter-finals, and for Pellegrini that simply means avoiding champions Barcelona. “Dynamo, they didn’t take any risks also”, Pellegrini said after the match, according to Goal UK.
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“I think we should say thank you to our guys and look to the future with optimism”.
