Injuries piling up for MP

MANCHESTER City manager Manuel Pellegrini is to investigate the spate of muscle injuries that threatens to undermine his side’s return to form.

City could have to play through the Christmas programme without a recognised senior striker and their captain after a costly 1–0 victory over Barclays Premier League bottom side Leicester on Saturday.

The club’s only fit striker, Edin Dzeko, suffered a calf muscle injury in the warm–up before skipper Vincent Kompany pulled up with a recurrence of a hamstring problem late in the second half.

Both are unlikely to be fit before new year and join forwards Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic on the casualty list.

Their absences will leave sizeable gaps at both ends of the field and Pellegrini wants to find out if there is an underlying cause, although the Chilean will not make excuses.

“Maybe we must find a reason why,” said Pellegrini (below), whose side have won seven matches in succession.

“It is very unlucky to have the three strikers out with injuries but we must try to solve the problem and play another way, or keep a clean sheet.“It is difficult because we have to play a lot of games during the last days of December, but I never complain about the players who cannot play.”

Kompany had been making his comeback after a three–game absence with a hamstring injury and the influential Belgian also missed a game at QPR in November with a calf problem.