Kompany ‘to miss start of season’

MANCHESTER City captain Vincent Kompany is set to miss the start of next season, according to a Belgian physio who has examined him.

The Belgium defender limped out of City’s Champions League loss at Real Madrid after 10 minutes with a thigh injury in midweek and has already been ruled out of Euro 2016.

Now, according to Lieven Maesschalck, a former Belgium national team physio who is reportedly close to Kompany, the 30-year-old could be sidelined for four months.

That would rule him out until September and see him miss the start of Pep Guardiola’s reign as City manager.

As yet there has been no confirmation from the club regarding the extent of the injury with the previous update coming from the player.

Maesschalck told Belgium’s Radio 1: “I saw Kompany on Thursday. It was very clear ­— he has a complete tear of the slender thigh muscle. He has been operated on yesterday and it will take about four months to get match-fit again.”

The injury is the latest in a long line of problems to have beset the influential defender’s career. It is his 33rd injury since he joined City in 2008 and his fifth this season.

Meanwhile, England manager Roy Hodgson is anxiously waiting for news of Danny Welbeck’s fitness amid fears the Arsenal striker could miss Euro 2016.

Welbeck was forced off after 24 minutes of Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at City on Sunday with what could be a knee cartilage injury.

The 25-year-old, who only returned from a 10-month lay-off following an injury to the other knee in February, was due to undergo a scan on Monday.

He has not been ruled out of this summer’s tournament in France but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger did express concern. Hodgson names his initial squad for the European Championship on Thursday.