Belgium prepared to defy Pellegrini and play Kompany against Isreal

Vincent Kompany could feature for Belgium in Tuesday’s Euro 2016 qualifying clash with Israel in Brussels. The center back has missed the last five games in all competitions for Manchester City due to a calf problem, and prior to the current international break, Blues manager Manuel Pellegrini’s verdict on Kompany, with regard to his chances of being involved in his country’s forthcoming matches against Andorra and Israel , was “he cannot play”.

However, Belgium boss Marc Wilmots said around that time after naming Kompany in his squad that the player was “fit” and had a “big chance” to play against Israel. And at his press conference on Monday to preview that game, Wilmots, quoted on the official Twitter feed of the Belgian national team, said: “Vincent is fit, but we’ll wait (on) the outcome of the training to decide if he will play.”

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Wilmots’ men sealed their Euro 2016 place on Saturday when they beat Andorra, a match Kompany sat out.

What Pellegrini will make of it if the 29-year-old defender, who is captain of both his club and country, gets a run-out against Israel remains to be seen. But the Chilean said when speaking on the matter on October 2:

“Of course it’s outside the control of any club manager. The national team have a list of the players that play for them and they have, in the international break, the authority to use them.

“We can’t do anything about that because they have the decision – but he cannot play.

“I hope that Vincent can return (to action) after the international break but I am not sure. I hope that after 15 days he will be able to play but the calf is a difficult muscle.”