Manchester United vs Manchester City: Pep Guardiola reveals Vincent Kompany wasn’t injured but was subbed at half-time because he was ‘tired’
When Guardiola was asked why the injury-prone defender only lasted 45 minutes, he said: “Vincent Kompany had no injury."
VINCENT KOMPANY was too tired to help his side battle bitter rivals Manchester United in the second half of their EFL Cup derby on Wednesday night.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola put out an inexperienced side – with a couple of senior pros like the Belgian club captain and fellow defender Nicolas Otamendi – but the skipper chose to leave them in the lurch after the break.
With the match poised at 0-0 after 45 minutes – and teenagers like Pablo Maffeo and Aleix Garcia doing their best to keep superstars like Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at bay – the centre-back told his boss his was too knackered to carry on.
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When Guardiola was asked why the injury-prone defender only lasted 45 minutes, he said: “Vincent Kompany had no injury.
“He told us he was tired and not ready for the second half.”
Nine minutes after the restart, with Kompany out of the firing line, Juan Mata popped up to end City’s League Cup hopes.
Guardiola was full of praise for the academy kids who played the full 90 minutes but is under pressure as this six-match winless streak is the worst run of form in his glittering career.
Kompany has suffered dozens of muscle strains in recent seasons and played 78 minutes of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Southampton.
But it seems highly unlikely that Guardiola was prepared for the 30-year-old to demand to be replaced so early.
The fact Guardiola wanted him to play the majority of the match - and he refused - will not help his case for starting the next Premier League match on Saturday when City travel to West Brom.