Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany will be assessed by the club's doctor after he suffered a groin injury in their 4-0 Premier League win over Newcastle United.
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Kompany, 27, limped off on 71 minutes after a slide tackle on Sammy Ameobi.
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City manager Manuel Pellegrini admitted a long term injury to the Belgian could prompt a move into the transfer market.
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He said: "The doctor will see exactly what he has, but maybe we can think about another centre-back."
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In a tweet posted shortly after the match had finished, Kompany said: "Injury is a blow after all the hard work. I'll be back to that level in no time. Thanks for all the support."
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Kompany immediately held his groin after sliding the ball out of play when under pressure from Magpies' substitute Ameobi.
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Matija Nastasic missed the game with an ankle injury, forcing Pellegrini to use Spanish midfielder Javi Garcia as Joleon Lescott's partner in central defence for the final 19 minutes.
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The summer transfer of Kolo Toure to Liverpool has reduced the central defensive options available to Pellegrini, but Micah Richards and Dedryck Boyata remain available for selection.
Vincent Kompany is a very good defender for Manchester City anytime anyday so I expect them to miss his services.