RIKH’S CROCKED
HENRIKH MKHITARYAN is doubtful for the Manchester derby after the United midfielder suffered a thigh injury on Armenia duty. Mkhitaryan, 27 (below) picked up the knock in an off-the-ball collision with Marek Suchy in the first half of his country’s 3-0 friendly defeat by the Czech Republic on Wednesday and had to be taken off. The Armenian FA said tests on his injury were “not encouraging” and he now faces a race against time to be fit for Saturday’s Old Trafford crunch. He has returned to Carrington to be assessed by United’s medics. The Manchester City captain, 30, suffered a thigh injury nine minutes into the Champions League semi-final clash away to Real Madrid in May. It was the latest in a long list of cruel muscle injuries which wrecked large chunks of last season and forced Kompany out of Euro 2016. But City specialists now report that the damaged muscle is “clean” – although blood tests last week were still not perfect. Kompany, though, is well on the road to a full recovery and came through a midweek practice match behind closed doors without a problem. He has rejoined the rest of the squad in training sessions and the big Belgian centre-back has one eye on Saturday’s Old Trafford derby. But anxious boss Pep Guardiola (below) won’t rush Kompany and risk another disastrous setback until blood levels are deemed normal. Guardiola said: “Every day is much better but until the blood tests are perfect, he is not going to play with us. “You have to avoid a situation that when he starts he gets injured again. You have to accept if it’s because of football but not for the reasons which have happened in the last three years. “He missed a lot of games and has had something in his muscle which was not right. “He is going to start to train fully. I am surprised by how much he is a fighter and he is working morning and afternoon. “So now he has gone again for tests. When the signals in the blood decrease then OK. He has trained on some things with us but in terms of being competitive, in terms of the games and contact and duels, he won’t play until he’s ready. “What is important is the doctor told me now his muscle is clean. He can train now. He will be part of the group and after we will decide if he is able to play or not.” Guardiola is delighted with the Etihad Campus training facilities he has inherited in taking the City job – and believes his star-studded players couldn’t be in more specialised hands. He added: “I control them when they are here but at home I don’t knock on their doors and say to their beautiful wives, ‘What are you doing?’ Maybe in the future. “But I have never seen facilities like this. We have everything we need to work. The players cannot complain. They have absolutely everything to help them to be ready to play. “Here at the training ground there are no excuses. If we are not ready or fit, it is because we are not good enough. “We make every single day the best for the players but sometimes I take the decisions and the players who don’t play are not happy. “Football belongs to the players. I am here to help them but sometimes it is impossible to do that.”