For Vincent Kompany, playing in the 2018 World Cup has been the big goal all season, but, both unfortunately and unsurprisingly, injuries are complicating things for the Manchester City defender.
Desperately wanting to be a part of the group for the current international break, the 31-year-old was sent home by Roberto Martinez, which could be a sign he might not be a part of the former Everton manager’s plans for the tournament itself.
In fact, this question is, nine months before the actual event, already a debate back in Belgium.
Asking the question on Le Grand Débrief, presenter Vincenzo Ciuro got a fairly strong consensus from his guests, DH journalists Benoit Delhauteur and Jonathan Lange, former Standard Liège manager Aleksandar Jankovic and Eupen striker Nicolas Verdier.
Lange started things off by saying: “We can really ask ourselves whether or not he should be a part of the group by looking back to when Roberto Martinez said he would be out 11 days, but with Vincent Kompany, days quickly become weeks and he hasn’t trained properly once in a month, which, going into a World Cup, can be a problem”.
Jankovic, picking up on that point, added: “If he’s fit, yes. If he isn’t, no. Going from experience, looking at other teams like France taking players not 100% fit (Zidane in 2002, Henry and Vieira in 2006), it’s always negative. You can’t take them. If he’s fit 100%, then yes.”
For the current footballer, Nicolas Verdier, however, Kompany should stay at home: “Frankly, no, because he’s had quite a few injuries, and after a while, your body struggles to digest them and it could lead to a catastrophe”.
Wrapping things up, Jonathan Lange ended on a semi-positive note, saying the only hope they really had was for the Manchester City captain to ‘pull a Van Buyten’, when the former Bayern Munich defender, at the age of 36, became one of Belgium’s best players during the 2014 World Cup.
Another man who’d like a fit Kompany is Pep Guardiola, but even he cannot seem to get the Belgian defender to feature regularly.
It’s a real worry in Belgium, although there’s a feeling the national could get by without him if need be.
Still, a 100% fit Vincent Kompany would certainly help.
