‘No more automatic shirt for defender’ Pellegrini says

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that his captain Vincent Kompany is not guaranteed an automatic shirt anymore.

Kompany started all the games for City before he was sidelined by a calf injury but has been left out of the team since he returned to fitness.

Read: Pelegrini rejects talks of feud with Kompany

There have been reports of a disagreement between Kompany and Pelegrini but the manager dispelled that revealing that the defender is no longer untouchable.

"The importance is the moment of the player. Maybe if you remember last season we finished the last six games without Vincent and we won all six, conceding only two,” Pelegrini said.

"So the moment of the player is the most important thing. At the beginning of the season I said Vincent and Mangala were untouchable because they were playing very well.

Read: Vincent Kompany fit to play

"We bought Otamendi and he didn't play because they were doing so well.

“After that there's a lot of things why the performances of the players change and it is my duty to choose the best 11 every game."

Ahead of the Manchester derby on Sunday, October 25, the manager also refused to guarantee Kompany a recall.

Read: Joe Hart urges Kompany to impress

"He was five weeks without playing and on his return he played 45 minutes, he's fit,” Pelegrini continued.

“We'll see when he'll return. But I always say this team is better with Vincent than without him."

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