Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany ruled out for four months

Vincent Kompany’s thigh injury is expected to keep him out for four months meaning the Belgian captain will miss the start of next season under the club’s new coach, Pep Guardiola.
Kompany, 30, lasted just six minutes of the tie in the Santiago Bernabeu before succumbing to the latest muscle problem in an injury-ravaged campaign. He later released a message on his Facebook page that confirmed he will definitely miss the tournament.

“I’ll miss the Euros,” he wrote. “To me that’s very sad news.

“So I could be standing here, feeling sorry for myself. I could fear for my career, as others may do. I could give up.

“That is not me. I decide on my future.

“There is a bigger picture to everything in life and only failing to see it, will cause me to fail.

“I am a hard worker and a fighter and if you are too, then you know that, to people like us, success can come in many forms. We trust ourselves when the going gets tough.

“I have the greatest respect for those who overcome their personal challenges in life with a positive attitude.

“I want to live up to that.

“So I remain calm and positive. I will continue to follow my path and I will do so with more conviction than ever.

“I trust my friends and teammates to do well and do us proud at the next European Championships in France. I am now officially their most fervent supporter and I will be there to support them.

“Written from my hospital bed,

“Never giving up,

“Vincent Kompany”

However Lieven Maesschalck, the Belgium team doctor, claims the 30-year-old could still play on for five more years if he recovers fully.

According to Maesschalck, Kompany may not return until the end of August. “I’ve seen Kompany [last] Thursday. It was very clear: he has a complete tear of the slender thigh muscle,” he told the country’s Radio 1. “It will take about four months to get match fit again. How bad it is, Vincent must now look forward to next season. It was inevitable, he had no choice. The decision is final.