Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has given the team update ahead of the Citizens clash against Newcastle United, with five players unavailable for selection.
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The Etihad outfit are currently in second place in the league, one point behind league leaders Manchester United, who travel to Arsenal FC for a crunch clash.
Captain Vincent Kompany is set to miss the clash due to a calf muscle problem and will also miss Belgium’s Euro qualifiers. Manuel Pellegrini is hopeful of having the Belgian fit after the international break, but remains skeptical about the chances.
The Citizens will also be without the services of summer recruit Fabian Delph, along with three other first-teamers. Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy are also unavailable for today’s clash.
However, the return of Eliaquim Mangala, Wilfried Bony and Kelechi Iheanacho will help the Citizens in their bid to get all the three points against a struggling Newcastle United side.
Ita s not been a normal situation to have so many injuries – Pellegrini
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, as quoted by the club’s official website, Pellegrini said:
a Vincent Kompany, Clichy, Delph, Nasri and Toure are injured. Mangala is on the squad list and so are Kelechi and Bony.
a Kompanya s calf is still injured a wea ll see if hea s fit after the international break.
a Ita s not been a normal situation to have so many injuries a against Sunderland we had 11 injured, then ita s been seven or eight. I hope after this break, most of them will be fit.
a I never complain about the players who cana t play. I dona t think that one name can change the performance of this team. We also win a lot of games without Vincent.