Manchester City news: Vincent Kompany hands Pep Guardiola a boost as he trains with team-mates after Manchester derby fitness scare
Etihad skipper joined team-mates on training pitch less than 24-hours after he asked to go off at half time in United loss
VINCENT KOMPANY calmed fears of a fresh injury blow despite going off at half-time during Manchester City’s EFL Cup defeat.
The Etihad skipper trained with his team-mates yesterday less than 24 hours after he was replaced by boss Pep Guardiola 45 minutes into Wednesday night’s clash with Manchester United.
But fans feared injury-prone Kompany, 30, could be facing yet another spell on the sidelines despite Guardiola insisting that the Belgian defender was simply “tired”.
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Kompany started consecutive games for City for the first time since he was sidelined by calf and then groin injuries at the end of last season.
Yet the two-time Premier League-winner could be back in the side to face West Brom tomorrow.
City left-back Gael Clichy said: “Vinnie is a massive player for us — but there’s nothing to be worried about.
“He’s been out for quite some time and he played 80 minutes three days ago. He was sensible in not getting injured again.
“When you lose a player like this, you have to adjust but we have enough quality to still play a good game. He did OK and he is not injured so that is the main thing.
“We’re doing well apart from the results but we just need to work a little bit and I’m sure we’ll get there.”
City have failed to win any of their last six games in all competitions.
That is the longest stretch of matches without a victory during Guardiola’s glittering managerial career with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now City.
They face the Baggies tomorrow and then the Champions League return against Barca — who battered them 4-0 in the Nou Camp last week. But teenage star Pablo Maffeo, 19, insists the Blues will soon be back on track.
The Spanish defender, who made only his second City start at Old Trafford, said: “Every weekend we need to win and we need to show personality to play.
“But it is true we have six games in a row without a win. I think we are going to win and we go in a good way.
“Barcelona is another game. We showed on Wednesday we can compete in tough games, very hard games, and I think we can win.”
Maffeo and fellow Spaniard Aleix Garcia, 19, impressed in a much-changed City line-up at United.
Maffeo confessed: “I was a little bit nervous at the start of the game.
“After it went very good and I am happy with my performance, but unlucky with the result.
“When you get on the pitch and you touch the first two or three balls, the nerves go out. You just play like you are.
“It was a very tough game, but we competed, we showed personality.
“The result is bad but I think we showed the personality to play and we can play in those stadiums and in those big games.”