Vincent Kompany’s injury woes seem like they will never go away.
[ VIDEO: Chelsea-Spurs hostility ]
The captain of Manchester City and Belgium, 30, suffered a knee ligament injury against Crystal Palace last weekend and will be out for four to six weeks, his manager Pep Guardiola confirmed.
This new injury is the latest in a long line of setbacks for City’s skipper. In fact, he’s missed 260 days in 2016 through calf, groin, thigh and now knee injuries.
Perhaps more damaging than the physical injuries to Kompany’s body is the mental aspect.
In a game against Swansea City in September he had to walk off the pitch after pulling up early in his latest comeback, while he also asked to be subbed off at half time of City’s 1-0 EFL Cup defeat at Manchester United last month because he was tired.
Kompany is one of the finest defenders in the world when he’s fit and on his game.
He’s captained Man City to two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup but unless he can somehow get to the bottom of these fitness issues, his lack of game time in recent seasons will hang over his head for the latter stages of his career. And maybe beyond.
Nobody is hurting more than Kompany about his recent injury woes and Guardiola, outside experts and everyone at the club are doing their best to somehow get the Belgian defender back on the pitch.