Share

Pellegrini: Silva will be back to his best

Cape Town - Manuel Pellegrini believes that, while Vincent Kompany's future at the club may be in doubt, David Silva will be back to his best next season.

The Spanish midfielder, a key performer in City's two successful Premiership campaigns, missed a total of 29 league matches for the Citizens this past season, causing many to question the player's future under new manager, Pep Guardiola.

Such speculation is also given crediblity by the emergence of young Kevin de Bruyne, who was one of the club's outstanding players this season.

City's former manager, however, feels that Silva still has much to offer the club and that this unfortunate series of setbacks is not an indication of the player's future.

"He will return to be normal – David is just 30 years old," the Chilean told reporters.

The case of Vincent Kompany, however, is one that Pellegrini finds more perplexing.

One of the Premier League's most consistent defenders and another essential component of City's recent successes, Kompany has just completed his second consecutive season where he spent more time on the sidelines than on the field.

"I don’t know what he will do in the future," the now-unemployed coach said. "It’s very difficult to understand."

Kompany's latest injury, coming in less than ten minutes into the second leg of his club's Champion's League semi-final against Real Madrid, was the fifth separate injury setback suffered by the player since the start of the season.

Guardiola will be looking for more consistency amongst his back four, and in the absence of a reliable partner for Nicolas Otamendi, is likely to look to the transfer market.

If a world-class performer was to be enticed to the Etihad Stadium, Kompany's long-term future there could very well be in doubt.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE