• Premier League

Kompany in line for return as injuries hamper City

Vincent Kompany has been passed fit to return to the Manchester City defence against Swansea on Saturday.

Kompany missed City's 2-2 draw against Queens Park Rangers before the international break, as well as Belgium's matches against Iceland and Wales, due to a calf injury.

The club captain, however, is now back in training and manager Manuel Pellegrini is prepared to bring him straight back into the side, rather than save him for Tuesday's crucial Champions League game against Bayern Munich.

Pellegrini issues City challenge

• Manuel Pellegrini has set his Manchester City side the ambitious target of taking at least 22 points from their next eight games to reach the halfway point of the Premier League season in a position to retain their title.
• City have only picked up 21 points from their first 11 games, while they trail league leaders Chelsea by eight points, so Pellegrini believes they cannot afford to lose another Premier League match in 2014.
• City need seven wins and a draw to meet his demand and, if they achieve that, it would take them to 43 points - exactly half their 86-point tally when they lifted the title last season.
• Pellegrini said: "I think this week of November and December are a decisive month for the Premier League. We are going to play eight games of the Premier League, we are going to finish the first half [of fixtures] at the end of December.
• "We have 24 more points to try to win. I think it is important to have a good first half. That is more than 41 or 42 points."

The Premier League champions, though, are still without the injured pair of David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov, while Edin Dzeko, who suffered a calf problem during his cameo appearance against QPR, is also out of contention.

Pellegrini said: "The remaining injuries are the three of them - Dzeko, Aleks Kolarov and David Silva. The three of them are injured and not considered for this game. Vincent is in the squad list and [Eliaquim] Mangala also has a small problem but they are OK."

Pellegrini had previously omitted Yaya Toure for City's first game after the international break as he had a long journey back from playing for Ivory Coast. The midfielder, however, has returned from his home nation in good condition.

Pellegrini added: "Yaya has not played two games in the same week so everybody [who] came back is available to play. They didn't have any problems with their international squad."

Pellegrini has given a vote of confidence to Mangala, who has struggled since becoming the most expensive defender in the history of British football, by declaring he will be a "great" player for City.

Mangala joined for £32 million from Porto in August but, after an encouraging debut against Chelsea, has found life tougher.

"Maybe [he has found life tough] for different reasons," Pellegrini said. "Because he started later, because he didn't make all the positions with us, because we work in a different way here, maybe he is not in his best moment.

"I am absolutely sure we bought the right player because I think he is a very good defender. He is a young defender with a lot of experience."

Martin Demichelis endured difficulties after signing for City in August 2012 and Pellegrini believes Mangala, like the 33-year-old, will also come good.

He added: "If you remember, the criticism with Demichelis was absolutely the same as the criticism of Mangala. Maybe they need more time to settle here in the Premier League but I am sure we will see the great defender we have."

Pellegrini also told the unsettled Scott Sinclair, who has not figured in the Premier League this season and has said he is looking to leave the Etihad Stadium, he can win back his place if he impresses in training.

He added: "Scott knows perfectly which is his place in the squad. He must work every day and in the moment I think he is better than the players we have, he will have a chance."

The City manager said Sinclair, a 6.2 million-pound signing from Swansea in 2012, had turned down moves away from the club in the summer.

He said: "Maybe he had the chance also to go on loan at the beginning of the season. But he decided to stay here."

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