Man City seek Kompany as title bid falters

Manchester City’s Belgian defender Vincent Kompany leaves the pitch as he is substituted injured during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Sunderland at The Etihad stadium in Manchester, north west England on December.

Kompany, who had missed City’s previous eight games, limped off nine minutes into his comeback in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Sunderland with another calf injury.

Pellegrini said: “We need to focus game by game”.

Speaking before Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Bournemouth which moved them above the Foxes to the top of the league, Pellegrini said: “Leicester are top of the table because they deserve to be”. On the bench, Pellegrini can turn to Jesus Navas if he needs to bring on another threat down the flank. I did not want him to play the whole game because we have to play so many games, but he worked the whole week with normality.

Sunderland’s poor record this season would indicate that they do not stand any real chance against City while the Sky Blues’ home record would also imply the same.

The Chilean said: “I think it’s very important to be involved, as we are now, at the end of January”.

“When you work so hard to come back and everything seems fine in the week and then you come on and you go quickly back again – it must be hard for him”.

The 29-year-old was crestfallen for not having played and revealed that he will do everything to get back to full fitness and help his team’s title race.

City have commendable recent form against the Mackems, as they won both games last season.

De Bruyne eventually got his name on the score-sheet in the 52nd minute with a clinical finish past Costel Pantillimon.

Pellegrini’s men have conceded just one league goal with Kompany in the side this season, keeping just one clean sheet without him.

“He’s very important. That doesn’t mean that we have to think that with Vincent we’re not going to make any mistakes, and without him we can not win”. “He is captain because has a lot of important things to give – his performance, his personality”.

Manager Sam Allardyce made six changes at the weekend to try to inspire improvement. “As a team we do not defend as well as we should do”. He says he can do little about what the club’s hierarchy think and is focusing only on the team, knowing that winning a second Premier League title will do his standing no harm.