Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany has withdrawn from the Belgium squad for their games against Italy and Spain because of a calf problem.
It’s the latest setback for the 29-year-old, who has suffered 26 muscle injuries in the last three and a half years—11 of which have been calf issues.
It is thought to be a minor problem, but it offers yet another reminder of his susceptibility to muscle complaints—a huge concern for ManuelPellegrini who continually has his influential captain taken from him during his periods on the sidelines.
It comes on the back of last month’s club vs. country row that sawKompany play for an hour of Belgium’s win over Israel despite having missed City’s previous five games.
Belgium manager Marc Wilmots chose to ignore the letter City sent advising him not to pick Kompany, a move that clearly angered Pellegrini who chose not to select the defender for the subsequent games against Bournemouth and Sevilla.
Kompany’s importance to City has been underlined further this season with a string of excellent displays. The Blues have kept seven clean sheets in their 12 league games and Kompany has been involved in all of them.
He brings organisation and leadership, as well as remarkable athleticism, pace and strength. When he’s been absent this season, City’s defence has, at times, looked poor, but with him they have looked solid.
Kompany has been building up a superb partnership with NicolasOtamendi, the club’s summer signing from Valencia, with their performances against Manchester United, Norwich City and Aston Villa catching the eye.
The Argentinian had looked somewhat shaky in his first few games, butKompany’s return to the side saw the £32 million signing begin to show his best form.
Both play in an aggressive manner, with some suggesting they are perhaps too similar in style to complement one another, but the early signs have been extremely positive for Pellegrini.
The City boss finally has some strength in depth at centre-half, withEliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis also fighting for a first-team place.
But solving Kompany’s tendency to contract muscle injuries should be a priority for City medical team.
It’s been a continual problem for City, and Pellegrini appears to have little in the way of detailed explanation as to why it keeps happening.
“Vincent plays with 100 per cent intensity, not just every game but every training session,” Pellegrini said prior to City’s recent match with West Ham United.
“That’s the way he always works.
“It’s difficult [for him to ease off]. It is not easy for him. He tries sometimes not to be always 100 per cent intensity, but you cannot change.
“It is always important [not] to have injured players, especially the captain and especially in a moment when we didn’t concede any goals in the first five games. I think it is important to carry on playing with the same names, but I always say we have a squad.”
With City making progress on three fronts this season, and with the FA Cup set to be added to their schedule in the new year, they need a healthy squad with their best players fit and available if they want to compete for silverware.
So far this season, Pellegrini has coped well with the debilitating injury list he's faced, but he needs his captain to remain fit.
He is vital in ensuring defensive stability, and something must be done to get to the bottom of his calf troubles.
Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter RobPollard.
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