Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has
confirmed Vincent Kompany will not play against West Ham on Saturday
because of a calf injury.
The central defender was substituted after 75 minutes of City's 2-1 Champions League defeat to Juventus on Tuesday and insisted afterwards that he had only come off as a precaution.
However, the Belgian has now been ruled out for the visit of West Ham so new signing Nicolas Otamendi, a £32m buy from Valencia in the closing days of the summer transfer window, could be given a chance.
Pellegrini said: "It is always serious having injured players, especially the captain and especially in a moment when we didn't concede any goals in the first five games.
"I think it is important to carry on playing with the same names but I always say we have a squad.
"It is important for Nicolas Otamendi to have his opportunity to demonstrate why he is here and Martin Demichelis to return to his performance of last season. We have a squad and we need to replace the captain.
"Otamendi has been working with our team for the last three weeks - maybe not as much as we would like because he went with the national squad, but he is an experienced player, he must have his opportunity in this moment now. I hope he will have a good performance."
Winger Samir Nasri is also an injury doubt, but Pellegrini has been boosted by the news that striker Sergio Aguero, who came on for the final seven minutes of the Group D opener at the Etihad, has fully recovered from the knee injury picked up against Crystal Palace last weekend and will be fit for the Sky Live clash.
On Aguero, Pellegrini said: "He has recovered very well, he is 100 per cent.
"I think Pablo Zabaleta needs one more week with the physio. I hope from the end of this month he will be okay. Nasri had a kick in the last game. He's not 100 per cent for Saturday."
And on the threat posed by West Ham at the Etihad, the Chilean added: "They have good players and are playing very well.
"West Ham are doing very well, especially playing away. It is not easy to win games against Arsenal and Liverpool without conceding."
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