Kompany and Belgium on Pellegrini collision course

Vincent Kompany: Manchester City captain not happy with UEFA

Vincent Kompany: Manchester City captain not happy with UEFA

Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany looks set to play for Belgium next week despite City boss Manuel Pellegrini stating he “cannot play”.

City look set to be embroiled in another club versus country affair after Belgium coach Marc Wilmots declared he wants to pick Kompany to play against Israel.

Kompany has missed City’s last four matches with a calf problem and will sit out Saturday’s home game against Newcastle and Pellegrini is not convinced the 29-year-old will be ready to face Bournemouth on October 17.

Despite that Belgium, who are well withing their rights, have called him up for their Euro 2016 qualifiers against Andorra and Israel.

“It’s outside the control of any club manager. The national team have a list of the players that play for them. They have the authority to use them in the international break.

“It is not a problem for him to go to the national squad but he cannot play,” Pellegrini said on Friday.

“In the same way when you don’t play for your national team you cannot play after for your club, it must be the same in the other sense. If you cannot play for your squad you cannot play for your national squad.”

Belgium boss Wilmots has spoke to Kompany to determine his injury prognosis and is intending to give Kompany a run-out at home to Israel on October 13.

“I talked to Vincent on the phone. His injury is not that serious, there is no burst. On Monday he starts to run again.

“He won’t play on Saturday against Andorra, but there’s a big chance that against Israel he will be fit to play.

“Anyway I wanted Vincent with us, he will follow his schedule with us. But we won’t take risks with him,” said Wilmots.