Center-backs Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi were forced off by injury inside 23 minutes as Manchester City made a calamitous start to Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Dynamo Kiev.
Captain Kompany, who has been dogged by recurring calf problems, was forced off in the seventh minute after hurting himself when he slipped in a tussle for possession with Dynamo midfielder Vitaliy Buyalskiy.
Otamendi was injured in a heavy collision with Buyalskiy moments later and after initially trying to play on, he signaled to the bench that he would not be able to continue.
The departures of Kompany and Otamendi left City with a second-choice centre-back pairing of Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis, while Yaya Toure inherited the captain’s armband from Kompany.
City lead 3-1 from the away leg of the last 16 tie and are bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.
