Pellegrini determined to help Vincent Kompany overcome injury problems

Alam Khan - Reporter 03:51 28/12/2015
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  • Injury-prone: Vincent Kompany.

    Manuel Pellegrini says Manchester City will carry out a thorough investigation to help solve Vincent Kompany’s on-going calf problem. The inspirational captain lasted just nine minutes on his comeback following an eight-game absence with the injury.

    Pellegrini believed Kompany was ready when he sent him on to replace Nicolas Otamendi as a substitute in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Sunderland. But the centre-back, 29, suffered a recurrence when stretching in a tackle and faces another spell out.

    Dismissing the need to buy another defender, or other players, in the January transfer window, Pellegrini said: “We are trying to find the reason why he has so many injuries in his calf. But that is a medical problem I cannot answer. We are going to do all the tests that he needs to understand why.

    “Our team with him is stronger, but without Vincent we must try to continue being competitive. That depends on the performances of [Eliaquim] Mangala, Otamendi and [Martin] Demichelis.”

    Despite not keeping a clean sheet in nine games, since Kompany last played in a goalless draw at Aston Villa, Pellegrini pleaded the case for his defence.

    “We cannot think that all the [defensive] mistakes are just because Vincent isn’t playing. That doesn’t mean we have to think that with Vincent we’re not going to make mistakes, and without him we cannot win. It’s an important challenge for the other players.”

    With Sergio Aguero expected to be 100 per cent fit to face leaders Leicester on Tuesday, Pellegrini also challenged striker Wilfried Bony to aim higher.

    The frontman, who voiced his frustration at an unfit Aguero starting against Arsenal instead of him, took his tally to eight goals in 14 starts. But he missed a penalty and other chances, and Pellegrini added: “He is another player who has had a lot of injuries, but I think to come from Swansea to City is different.

    “In some teams you can be happy scoring one goal, here you cannot.”

    One man proving his worth is Kevin De Bruyne with 10 goals and 10 assists since his record £54million (Dh296m) arrival. A ‘Cruyff turn’ was part of his stunning repertoire against Sunderland and he said: “When you play on the street when you are younger, you learn these tricks.

    “But I am not here to put on a show, I am here to win the game. If we can play in a good way that the fans enjoy, it’s even better.”

    With Sunderland five points adrift of safety, boss Sam Allardyce says he will look abroad to bring in a new centre-half in January and Sebastian Coates admits the players must improve.

    “Everyone was angry, we didn’t play well,” he said. “We need to show that we want to stay up. The spirit we showed at Arsenal last season, then this year in wins against Stoke and Palace. We are not showing it.”

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