Nastasic ruled out for three weeks

[PaulieIrish]

No Nasti or Komps for the w/e :(


Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that defender Matija Nastasic is facing a three-week lay-off with a calf injury.

Nastasic sat out the midweek UEFA Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen after being withdrawn at half-time in last Sunday's 6-0 Premier League thrashing of Tottenham.

Pellegrini is reluctant to rush back the Serbia international, while Vincent Kompany will not be risked against Swansea on Sunday, despite his recent recovery from a thigh problem.

"Vincent Kompany is fit and he is not ready to play on Sunday but I think next week he will be without any problems," said the Chilean.

"Jovetic and Silva - I think they will play against Bayern Munich.

"Nastasic needs more time to recover - I think three weeks more.

"Rodwell is fit and can play this Sunday."

Goalkeeper Joe Hart returned for Wedneday's 4-2 win over Czech side, but it remains to be seen whether Costel Pantilimon will be preferred at the Etihad.

Pellegrini praised Hart's performance, but failed to reveal whether he will keep his place between the posts.

"Joe Hart, I think he played very, very well the other day," he said.

"He had a good performance. We trust a lot in him and we will see who will start on Sunday."

"All the players give me a lot of things to think about and that is my job.

"When they give good performances, it is very easy. Not difficult, easy."

City's slack defensive display in the 4-2 win over Plzen was greeted with dismay from Pellegrini, who admits his side must tighten up.

"In the last two game here at home in Champions League, both teams scored two goals. It is too much," he said.

"Especially in the last game - Plzen did not just score two goals but they had

more chances.

"We are working every day in that sense.

"I suppose we will continue the same way we did against Tottenham - a very strong team with important players in attack and they didn't have any

chances."

[Breks]

Great to hear that Merlin and JoJo will soon be back in action.

[PaulieIrish]

True - but who play CB now?

Lescott and Garcia? /shudder

[Goaters 103]

Im going to be radical here but maybe Dimechelis & Lescott will play with Kompany coming back, however briefly, at Wba.

[phips]

Im going to be radical here but maybe Dimechelis & Lescott will play

thats the only option

[MilnersJaw]

Thank fuck nasti is injured, now lescott a real defender can play.

[ant london]

Thank fuck nasti is injured, now lescott a real defender can play.

I know De Mick isn't perfect and the pairing isn't blessed with blistering pace but, defensively I'm happy to go with Lecotts ability to actually defend with Martin's experience and ball playing.

I like Nasti but his experience and flaws are glaring when he plays with either of the above....much much leas so with Vincenzo

Vinnie and Joleon together from next week

[Green & Blue]

Thank fuck nasti is injured, now lescott a real defender can play.

That's a bit harsh mate.Think it's an injury we could do without.Lets hope Lescott makes the most of this opportunity and stakes a claim for a regular place in the side.As long as Manuel does not revert back to playing Garcia in defence again we should be alright.

[MilnersJaw]

I know De Mick isn't perfect and the pairing isn't blessed with blistering pace but, defensively I'm happy to go with Lecotts ability to actually defend with Martin's experience and ball playing.

I like Nasti but his experience and flaws are glaring when he plays with either of the above....much much leas so with Vincenzo

Vinnie and Joleon together from next week

For a young guy he is just As slow as lescott its baffling. He can't even make up his terrible defending with pace.

[aaron bond]

We are very short of centre backs right now, but as Nastasic has almost zero defensive ability we're not really missing much with him being injured.

Lescott needs to be brought back in, with Kompany to partner him when he's fit.

Those two have been far and away our best pairing in recent years and offer our best hope of tightening up the defence.

I just hope Pellegrini has no ideas of playing Garcia there again.

[Tesl]

Lescott should probably have been playing week in week out anyway so I'm not too devastated by this news. That doesn't exactly make it good news though.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Thank fuck nasti is injured, now lescott a real defender can play.

You are a fucking prick.

End of.

Re Lescott - he fucked up big time last week and he will fuck up again in the coming weeks.
Funny how both managers prefer Nasty over Lescott isnt it...wonder why that is ?

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Thank fuck nasti is injured, now lescott a real defender can play.

Get a fucking grip!!

[Breks]

Lescott is a good stopper but uncomfortable on the ball.

[horlock2000]

A potential pairing at CB of Demichelis and Lescott is giving me shivers! Massively lacking in pace and probably understanding given they have hardly played together!.

As said above, Lescott relies on using his strength and is a crackin stopper, but he is one of the worst players on the ball I've ever seen.

[Alioune DVToure]

Lescott and Demi will play and will do fine, I'm sure.

[Tesl]

As said above, Lescott relies on using his strength and is a crackin stopper, but he is one of the worst players on the ball I've ever seen.

Its not very important to me how many incisive defense splitting passes he makes or how many dribbles he does. His on the ball skills aren't really all that important and people should stop always going on about it, the fact is him and Vinny made the strongest defensive partnership City have probably ever had. I still rate him highly even though I'm somewhat in the minority I guess.

[Ted Hughes]

A potential pairing at CB of Demichelis and Lescott is giving me shivers! Massively lacking in pace and probably understanding given they have hardly played together!.

As said above, Lescott relies on using his strength and is a crackin stopper, but he is one of the worst players on the ball I've ever seen.

That's an absolutely ridiculous statement with no basis in fact whatsoever.

I've been watching City for 40 0dd years & he's much safer on the ball than most of the centre backs I've seen, including so far, Demichelis, who has passed the ball to the opposition more times in a few games than Lescott does in a season.

Sure, sometimes he gets it wrong. The fair way to judge it would be to also note & mentiion how many times Nastasic, Vinny & Demichelis fuck up similarly. Why is it only Lescott that gets a mention when a defender gives the ball away ? They all do it.

[Tokyo Blue]

Its not very important to me how many incisive defense splitting passes he makes or how many dribbles he does. His on the ball skills aren't really all that important and people should stop always going on about it, the fact is him and Vinny made the strongest defensive partnership City have probably ever had. I still rate him highly even though I'm somewhat in the minority I guess.

Good post, mate. Not sure about the best ever but still very good and for my money the best combination of the defenders at the club.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

A potential pairing at CB of Demichelis and Lescott is giving me shivers! Massively lacking in pace and probably understanding given they have hardly played together!.

As said above, Lescott relies on using his strength and is a crackin stopper, but he is one of the worst players on the ball I've ever seen.

You're right, let's stick Silva and Nasri at centre back then.