Manchester City injury news: Vincent Kompany still a month away from return, confirms Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that Vincent Kompany is almost a month away from returning to first team action after picking up a calf injury against Sunderland, only nine minutes after returning from a month-long stint on the sidelines.

The City captain has been a peripheral figure this season, afflicted with injuries for a major part of the campaign. In his absence, the Citizens failed to put their foot forward in the title race, struggling to keep a clean sheet in away games and are holding on to Sergio Aguero's prowess in front of the opposition goal to keep in touch with Arsenal and Leicester City at the top.

Eliaquim Mangala is also injured after picking up a hamstring injury in the first leg of the Capital One Cup against Everton, while Martin Demichelis and Nicolas Otamendi are yet to strike up a good understanding among themselves, as witnessed in their 2-2 draw with West Ham last weekend. Pundits believe that Kompany's presence would be vital to City's title charge and the current prognosis suggests that he could be back in training before their important Champions League game against Dynamo Kiev later next month.

"Vincent has at least two or three weeks more so he's not able to work with the squad," Pellegrini said in a recent press conference, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News. "When he starts working with the whole squad then he needs at least one week more to return."

City are currently on 44 points, joint with Arsenal and three behind Leicester City, who demolished Stoke City 3-0 at the King power Stadium last weekend. Meanwhile, the 2013/14 Champions rode on the back of a brace from Aguero to hold on to a point, which kept them in second place, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference.