Guardiola facesbig captain Kompany decision

Manager Pep Guardiola believes it could be a risk to play defender Vincent Kompany tonight when Manchester City take on Dutch visitors Feyenoord in the Champions League.

City, already qualified from Group F, are facing a heavy schedule of 12 games before the end of the year.

Kompany, 31, was back in the City team after shaking off a calf injury in Saturday’s 2-0 win at Leicester but Guardiola lost fellow defender John Stones due to a hamstring injury that could keep him out for six weeks.

“We don’t have a big squad,” Guardiola said. “To win the titles we need all the squad, especially important players like John and Vincent.

“We have to play 12 games in a short space of time with only three central defenders, and one of them is a risk in

“Wedon’thavea bigsquad. Towin thetitlesweneed allthesquad”

Vincent, who is only just back.”

City are unbeaten in 18 games in all competitions this season and lead Group F with four wins from four. They can secure first place in the group tonight if they win and Shakhtar Donetsk do not beat Napoli.

Maurizio Sarri, Napoli’s head coach, and Leicester manager Claude Puel have both said that Guardiola’s Blues are the best in Europe.

“For City, a team that still needs a history in Europe, it is a big win,” said Guardiola. “That doesn’t mean we are favourites to win the Champions League but it’s nice. It means we are doing well. People usually say the favourites are Barcelona, Bayern, Real Madrid. To put us there is a big honour. That does not mean we have done anything, because we haven’t.”