Vincent Kompany set to return for Manchester City against Tottenham

“He is one of the best defenders in the league”.

But that is all about to change.

Pellegrini is relieved to have them all back for for Sunday’s crucial clash with second-placed Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad.

The good news for the Citizens is that Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that Vincent Kompany should be available for the game against Mauricio Pochettino’s side (via Sky Sports).

So will this be a watershed moment in the season? He however revealed that captain Vincent Kompany will return after a lenthy lay-off.

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Fabian Delph, Samir Nasri, Kevin De Bruyne and Wilfried Bony tomorrow. They are also all vastly experienced in knowing how to win titles having been mainstays in the club’s two Premier League triumphs in 2011-12 and 2013-14.

“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. It’s very hard to find a particular thing about a muscle injury.

Pellegrini remains hugely popular in the dressing room and the players felt for him when he told them that he was leaving during an emotionally-charged meeting at the training ground.

“Bacary had last week a problem in his knee – some liquid in his knee”.

But Spain midfielder David Silva is fit for the Eastlands showdown with Tottenham – who ended a run of four successive defeats against City with a 4-1 win in September – after recovering from an ankle injury. “We’re not just thinking about one player and one game, we’re in a lot of competitions”.

The Chelsea match was subsequently switched to a 4pm kick-off on the day in question for a BBC broadcast slot – a decision Pellegrini does not feel is “logical”. “Unfortunately it is part of the season and we must try and manage with the players that we have”. The Frenchman should be back in a week, but Delph will be out for six to seven weeks.