Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany will return to action in two weeks according to the club as he continues to recover from a calf injury.
The Belgian defender has been dogged by persistent injuries this season, the last of which saw him limp off after just nine minutes in the Boxing Day clash with Sunderland.
Having suffered a reoccurrence of a calf problem, it had been suggested that he would face a six-week spell on the sidelines, but Manuel Pellegrini received a welcome boost on Tuesday.
Although Kompany will not feature in the second-leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final clash with Everton or the FA Cup tie this weekend against Aston Villa, he is nearing a return.
“We said in the last press conference that it will be a couple of weeks and we need to wait and see how he improves but he could be back before,” confirmed City manager Manuel Pellegrini, as noted by Sky Sports.
Despite the club captain’s absence, City remain just three points adrift of Premier League leaders Leicester City, while Arsenal are level on points with Pellegrini’s men.
With Nicolas Otamendi and particularly Eliaquim Mangala struggling to form a solid partnership in the heart of the defence, Kompany’s return will be a huge boost for the entire club provided that he can remain fit once he has made his comeback.
It had been suggested that the on-going calf problems were serious enough to threaten his career in the game, but the 29-year-old will undoubtedly remain defiant and committed to returning stronger than ever.