OMNISPORT 

Manchester City will once again be without first-choice center back pairing Eliaquim Mangala and Vincent Kompany when it faces Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Club captain Kompany and Mangala began City's opening five Premier League games, with Pellegrini's side victorious on each occasion without conceding a goal.

Kompany suffered a calf strain as City spurned a lead to lose its Group D opener 2-1 to Juventus earlier this month and the club's subsequent form does not bode well.

Mangala went off at halftime with a muscular injury as West Ham left the Etihad Stadium with a 2-1 win, while Kompany withdrew from a planned return to the bench at Tottenham on Saturday.

He was forced to watch on as his team turned in a shambolic second-half performance and succumbed to a 4-1 loss.

Argentina international duo Nicolas Otamendi and Martin Demichelis are set to continue in the heart of defense as Pellegrini cast doubt on Kompany's participation in Belgium's concluding Euro 2016 qualifiers next month.

"Vincent is an important player but just one player doesn’t make a difference," Pellegrini told a press conference, where he confirmed Gael Clichy, Fabian Delph, Samir Nasri and Wilfried Bony would also join his defensive duo on the sidelines.

"He is our captain and he started very well this season. I think it will be difficult for him to play for the national team next week."

There was some good news for Pellegrini on the injury front, as he confirmed David Silva and Joe Hart were fit to return from respective calf and back complaints.

Yaya Toure took part in training on Tuesday, showing no ill effects from the tight hamstring that curtailed his afternoon at White Hart Lane, while right back Pablo Zabaleta is available for the first time this season following a knee ligament strain.