Manchester City’s Pellegrini puts importance on next six games: ‘You must review the complete season’

'I don't think if we lost the next six games it would be the same analysis as if we won the next six games' says Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini of the final stretch.

Manchester City's Manuel Pellegrini shown before his side's loss to Manchester United last Sunday in the Manchester derby. Jon Super / AP / April 12, 2015

Manchester City's attempt to remain in the top four of the Premier League has been hampered by a five-man injury list and the news that captain Vincent Kompany may not play again this season.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who have slipped to the fourth and final Champions League qualifying place, will be without Kompany, strikers Stevan Jovetic and Wilfried Bony, in-form midfielder James Milner and defender Gael Clichy for the home game against West Ham United at Eastlands on Sunday.

Belgium defender Kompany injured his groin in last weekend’s devastating 4-2 Manchester derby defeat at Old Trafford and Pellegrini conceded he cannot say whether he will play again over the remaining six games of a disappointing campaign.

“He is injured,” said Pellegrini. “It’s very difficult to know the way you will improve if you are injured.

“We don’t know how many weeks he will be out for,” the Chilean added. “He has a muscle injury. We don’t know if he will be fit from now to the end of the season.”

City’s hopes of a successful Premier League title defence had all but evaporated before their defeat by Manchester United last weekend – their sixth loss in eight games in all competitions.

Pellegrini is shaping up for a vital six-game run to the end of the season which will decide the fate of his team – and possibly even his own job status, as pressure mounts with every setback and the names of Pep Guardiola, Patrick Vieira and Jurgen Klopp thrust forward as potential replacements.

“That is why every time you finish a season you must analyse things, whether you win or lose, that is important,” said Pellegrini.

“I don’t think if we lost the next six games it would be the same analysis as if we won the next six games.

“If we win the next six games we maybe finish second, if we lose the next six games then maybe we finish eighth.

“After that, you must review the complete season, make the correct diagnosis and make the correct solution.”

Pellegrini has also refused to comment on speculation that key players, such as under-performing midfielder Yaya Toure, will be allowed to leave the club after the season and the manager insisted the Ivory Coast international could still be an important figure at City.

“I don’t think he’s happy with his performance this year – and nor am I,” said Pellegrini. “But we must support him and return him to his normal performance.

“Maybe if we play without Yaya when he was at the Africa Cup and we’d won all the games, then he comes back and we start losing, maybe then you think that.

“Yaya needs support, he’s a very important player and he will have my support until the end of the season.”

West Ham have won just two of their last 15 league games and their hopes of ending the season on a high have been hit by an injury to Diafra Sakho, the striker who tore a thigh muscle in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City.

Sakho is likely to miss the remainder of the season, paving the way for Carlton Cole to play a more prominent role in the final weeks.

“Sakho has a thigh problem. He’ll be out until maybe the end of the season,” said manager Sam Allardyce.

“With Sahko out, we are a little short in the goal-scoring department. So, I am expecting Carlton to play a big role for us in the next few games and he can deliver for us against Man City.”

Allardyce, whose side are ninth, added: “We want to finish in the top 10 because that would mean our highest place in the three seasons since we got back in the Premier League. That would mean we have had a good season and progressed in the right manner.”

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