Why Vincent Kompany's Injury Record Threatens Manchester City Progress

Manchester City’s convincing 3-0 win over Southampton at St Mary’s was somewhat overshadowed by Vincent Kompany’s hamstring injury, which forced him from the field with a few minutes to go.

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Man City skipper Vincent Kompany hobbles off with an injury - the visitors have used their 3 subs and will finish with 9 men #SOUMCI

— Premier League (@premierleague) November 30, 2014"

City, who have now won three straight matches after a poor run prior to the recent international break, are yet to discover the extent of the damage to their captain, but with a trip to Sunderland on Tuesday, a fixture they habitually struggle with, it seems likely they'll be going into the game without him.

If it proves not to be something less complicated, such as a bout of cramp, it will be the latest in a long line of injuries for Kompany, which continues to undermine his claim to be the best defender in Europe.

When Kompany is fit, his value to City cannot be underestimated, but having missed 15 games last season with a combination of hamstring and groin injuries and 10 the season before because of calf and hamstring troubles, it’s clear his injury record is a concern.

If Kompany isn’t given the all-clear later today when he is assessed, the big worry for City is that it could derail their current run of form, which has seen them gather some momentum.

It’s been a difficult season for the champions, with their form having spluttered for the first few months until their recent mini-revival. With Chelsea looking like a far more difficult title challenger than Liverpool were last season, a long unbeaten run, like the one they put together at this stage last season, is needed to reverse some of the damage their poor start has done.

And with Eliaquim Mangala set to miss City’s next match after being sent off against Southampton for two bookable offences, City are left with something of a hole to fill at the heart of their defence.

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MATCH SHOT: @VincentKompany battles for the ball at St. Mary's. #saintsvcity #mcfc pic.twitter.com/1rkQFLbTih

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) November 30, 2014"

Martin Demichelis, who has impressed greatly since he turned his form around last March, will almost certainly come in, with Bacary Sagna, predominantly a right-back, a possible candidate to start alongside him.

The mysterious case of Matija Nastasic, who has been ignored by Manuel Pellegrini for much of the Chilean's reign and hasn’t been involved in a squad since the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, means he is unlikely to be considered.

And Dedryck Boyata, the only other option available to Pellegrini, is nowhere near good enough to play at the highest level and appears to remain at the club purely by virtue of his club-trained home-grown status.

Until Mangala fully settles into life as a Premier League player, much of the pressure to carry City defensively will remain on Kompany’s shoulders. Mangala continues to impress with his pace, power and aerial ability, but he too often has moments of madness when his decision-making lets him down.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

At just 23, he has time to learn and develop his game, but for now, City must be patient and continue to rely heavily on Kompany.

Whether Kompany can go through this season largely injury-free remains to be seen, but his recent record suggests he probably won't. City have struggled to find consistency alongside him in recent seasons, having had three different partners in the last three campaigns, and even now, having spent £32 million on Mangala, there is some uncertainty.

It's a worry for City, who will be anxiously awaiting the results of Kompany's scan on Monday. This three-match winning streak has to be extended if they want to keep the pressure on Chelsea at the top of the table and continue in Europe.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.