Martin Demichelis Returns to Boost Manchester City Ahead of West Ham Trip

Martin Demichelis made his return to action last night, turning out for City's Elite Development Squad in a match against Rochdale. The defender, who signed for City from Atletico Madrid in the summer for £4.2 million, looks set to be available for this Saturday's trip to West Ham, according to Jamie Jackson at The Guardian.

He arrived towards the end of the transfer window but was almost immediately injured, suffering knee-ligament damage in a training session at Carrington. It was a cruel blow for the 32-year-old, who has since spent six weeks on the sidelines.

With Vincent Kompany still out with a thigh strain, Demichelis' return is timely. Whether or not he will be fit enough to play 90 minutes at Upton Park remains to be seen, but his experience could be vital in the coming games.

City head into a run of four consecutive away matches starting on Saturday, with trips to CSKA Moscow, Chelsea and Newcastle following the game with Sam Allardyce's men.

Without Kompany, City can often look bereft of leadership, which is why Demichelis was signed in the first place, and the responsibility of organising the defence will rest on his shoulders when he does make his debut.

What Demichelis lacks in pace he makes up for with positional sense and experience. He started at River Plate, where he won two league titles, before moving to Bayern Munich, where he spent seven-and-a-half years. He won four domestic doubles in 259 appearances there, scoring 15 goals for the Bavarian side. He then moved to Malaga, where he made 84 appearances in La Liga and the Champions League. He has accumulated 37 caps for Argentina in that time, too.

It's a rich CV, one that should ensure he isn't overwhelmed at City.

Indecision and lack of leadership has too often characterised City's defence this season. City need a calming presence to step in when Kompany is unavailable, and Demichelis is seen as the man to provide it.

Last night, he operated in a midfield role to ensure he saw plenty of the ball and had to withstand tackles. He managed 45 minutes having returned to first-team training last week, and the run-out will have done him a world of good. He will now train with his teammates for the rest of the week, before a decision on his involvement at West Ham will be taken.

City fans will be hoping that he can bring the leadership they so desperately need.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2013-14 season. Follow him on Twitter here @TypicalCity.