Despite training with the squad this morning, Pellegrini says the skipper needs more time to recover from a thigh injury he sustained during the Sky Blues’ clash with Everton earlier this month.
“Vincent is working hard, he is not ready to play, but I hope that next week he will do,” he said.
“Demichelis played 45 minutes with the under 21s on Wednesday and I think he is the same shape as Kompany - I hope that next week he will be ready.
“Jack Rodwell has no problem, he is fit.”
City have taken just one point from their three away games in the Premier League so far this season and the manager admits that record must improve.
“If we go and see the statistics of the games we’ve played away, of course it must be a worry for us. It’s a thing we must improve and we must work hard defensively as a team,” he admitted.
“Of course we are worried about that; we have one point from nine, so we need to win.
“Now we play four away games in a row, so this is the best moment for us to win points, first in the Premier League against West Ham and then in the Champions League.”
...Manuel Pellegrini...
Sam Allardyce’s side recorded an impressive 3-0 away win against Tottenham Hotspur before the international break and the Chilean admits he expects a tough test against the Hammers.
“They are a very strong team and we are aware of that,” he said.
“I don’t know what he [Allardyce] will do, but maybe he will try the same as Villa did against us with nine or ten men behind the ball and try to get us on the counter attack.
“But we must prevent a lot of the unnecessary mistakes or fouls, keep our concentration and continue the way we are playing.”
