Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur preview - No Kompany for City

Posted Saturday, November 23, 2013 by PA

Captain Vincent Kompany (thigh) remains on the sidelines as Manchester City host Tottenham in the Barclays Premier League.

Playmaker David Silva and striker Stevan Jovetic (calf) are also still sidelined while it remains to be seen if manager Manuel Pellegrini will restore Joe Hart or retain Costel Pantilimon in goal.

Midfielder Fernandinho and defender Matija Nastasic have recovered from the knocks that ruled them out of the loss at Sunderland a fortnight ago.

Pellegrini continues to offer no guarantees that goalkeeper Joe Hart will return to his side in the near future.

Hart was dropped earlier this month after a spell of inconsistent form but impressed on international duty by making a number of good saves in England's friendly loss to Germany on Tuesday.

That performance caught Pellegrini's eye but the Chilean has consistently fended off questions about his own team.

He said: "I don't know. We will see tomorrow (Saturday) the starting 11.

"It was very important for him to play with England. It was an important game for England against Germany, it is a good test.

"I think he did very well."

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has revealed that striker Emmanuel Adebayor could make his first appearance of the season against old club.

Adebayor was a key part of Villas-Boas' team last season, but this term he has been forced out of the running by B£26million signing Roberto Soldado.

Adebayor has only been on the bench on one occasion so far, but Villas-Boas looks set to include him in his matchday squad for the game at the Etihad Stadium.

With Adebayor not being on international duty over the last fortnight, Villas-Boas has had a chance to look more closely at the Togo striker, who missed a large chunk of early season because he was allowed time off for compassionate leave.

The striker, who spent three years at City before an acrimonious split with then manager Roberto Mancini, played in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the club's training ground last week and the Tottenham manager liked what he saw from the former Arsenal man.

"Our likely approach is to go with one up front (at City)," Villas-Boas said.

"They (Soldado, Adebayor and Jermain Defoe) are very near each other at the moment and it could be a possibility that even Ade could play that game.

"These are all decisions that we have to take. We don't have enough reasons at the moment not to trust Soldado and Defoe because they've been excellent.

"Hopefully it's a decision that's best for the team and best for the strategy."

Midfielder Christian Eriksen is out for four weeks with an ankle injury while Danny Rose remains sidelined because of a toe problem he suffered in September.

Left-back Zeki Fryers and midfielder Nacer Chadli have recovered from their respective groin and hamstring troubles while Hugo Lloris is fit to return in goal.