But Kompany has proven his return to fitness following visits to specialists in the United States and Europe, as well as in intensive sessions on the training ground. Pellegrini is ready to turn to his captain for a game City badly need to win.
Defeat by Leicester City last Saturday has left City six points adrift of the leaders and a point behind both Arsenal and Tottenham ahead of a potentially pivotal day in the title race.
And the statistics show that City’s chances of winning will be greatly enhanced with Kompany, a double Premier League champion during his near eight-year stay at the Etihad Stadium, restored to the middle of their back four.
“Vincent has worked the last three weeks without any problems. He played 45 minutes in a friendly with the under-21s so I think that he is ready now to play,” added Pellegrini, whose side have won seven and drawn two of the nine Premier League games Kompany has played this season, conceding just two goals. Without him, City have won seven, drawn three and lost six games, letting in 24 goals.
“He is one of the best defenders in the league, he is the captain of the team. It’s important to have our important players all together. We started the season with Vincent, [David] Silva, [Yaya] Touré and [Sergio] Agüero, all of them playing in the first five games.
“After that, for different reasons, this is the first time they will play again together.”
City won those first five fixtures without conceding a goal and with Silva having responded well to treatment on an ankle injury during a trip home to see the Spanish team doctor, their midfield playmaker will also be available to face a Tottenham side, who ended a run of four successive defeats against City with a 4-1 victory in September.
- Telegraph