PEP TALKS UP KOMPANY BUT INJURY FEARS LINGER

PEP GUARDIOLA admits he cannot bank on Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany to stay fit next season.

The injury-plagued defender made it five starts in a row in the rout of Palace and grabbed a goal.

Boss Guardiola hailed the impact Kompany has had since his return, but admitted City must “cover our backs” by signing a new centreback this summer, with Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus and Antonio Rudiger of Roma among targets.

Asked if he would go into the next campaign confident Kompany will remain fit, Guardiola (right, with Gabriel Jesus) said: “When he’s in that form, there’s no doubt, but we have to cover our backs. We can’t give all our confidence he will be fit,

because of what we’ve experienced the last few years.

“We have to have back-ups if something happens but, of course with Vincent in that form it’s great

“It was a huge step. When we spoke at the beginning of the season, we said the first step was ‘Don’t put pressure on him, be able to train regularly and play one game’. “After that game, then

another one and after that, another one. And he did it and for 90 minutes. I’m pretty sure Manuel Pellegrini missed him a lot the last two seasons, and of course we missed him.”

Kompany, 31, said he had never felt his career was on the line, despite injury problems for much of the past two campaigns. “The happiest I will be is when I can go through this corridor and nobody asks me about my fitness,” he said.

“We’ll see how long it takes you guys to forget about it. Of course I’m happy. My favourite place to be is on the pitch with those guys.

“I’ve watched them a lot from the stands and I’m really lucky that I still had the chance to get back if I did the right thing – and I’ve done that.”