Vincent Kompany was dropped for Manchester City’s game against Leicester after an alleged dressing-room meltdown during their preceding defeat to Liverpool
An insider at the club claims 28-year-old City captain Kompany was involved in a half-time confrontation with midfielder Fernandinho at Anfield, which left team-mates fearing that the pair would come to blows.
Kompany allegedly refused to calm down, even when boss Manuel Pellegrini tried to step in to defuse the row.
Brazilian Fernandinho was not involved at all three days later against bottom club Leicester, and Kompany was left out of the starting line-up as the champions won, 2-0.
It remains to be seen whether Pellegrini will allow the skipper back into the side for Saturday’s trip to Burnley.
The centre-back only signed a new five-deal deal worth £130,000-a-week last summer after captaining the Blues to the Premier League title for the second time in three seasons.
The alleged bust-up during the 2-1 loss to Liverpool is the latest blow in City’s troubled season.
The Etihad club are five points behind league leaders Chelsea having played one more match, are struggling to stay in the Champions League - they trail Barcelona 2-1 going into the second leg of their last-16 tie in Spain next Wednesday - and with doubts over Pellegrini’s position.
Mirror Sport understands, however, that the players remain committed to their boss and that it is Kompany’s standing which may have been affected after his Anfield tirade.
The alleged incident is said to have started soon after the players arrived back in the visitors’ dressing room at half-time.
Kompany had been at fault in the lead-up to Jordan Henderson’s 11th-minute goal, which had put Liverpool ahead before Edin Dzeko equalised for City.
In the dressing room, Kompany was blasted by midfielder Fernandinho, who told him to pay more attention and to buck up his ideas for the second half.
Kompany, however, insisted the Brazilian could not tell him what to do.
The two are then said to have argued so furiously that others stepped in, fearing things would get out of hand.
Kompany allegedly tried to claim he was fed a poor pass for Jordan Henderson’s first goal.
Fernandinho pulled no punches as he insisted it was Kompany’s lack of concentration that led to Henderson’s opener in the Reds’ 2-1 win.
When Pellegrini eventually got involved, he sided with Fernandinho.
Former Real Madrid boss Pellegrini instructed Kompany that he needed listen to the former Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder, who was only trying to help and advise him for the good of the team.
Kompany, however, is understood to have reacted even more angrily to the City boss’s comments.
Sources claim he continued his tirade and rounded on anyone who challenged him - uncharacteristic actions said to have stunned onlookers.
The player himself remains a hero in the eyes of the club’s fans, who will back him to the hilt.
Indeed, he has been oustanding overall since arriving in Manchester for a bargain £6million nearly seven years ago.
Yet this season, the stats tell us Kompany has won fewer duels, made less tackles per game. His number of clearances are also down on last term.
Those leaping to his defence put those figures down to the midfield not providing enough protection, a track record of coming back from injury too soon, changes in the defensive personnel and a decline in the performances of the players around him.
Asked about Kompany after the Liverpool defeat, however, Pellegrini was far from convincing in his defence.
For the next game, the City captain was out.
It now remains to be seen just how long that exile lasts.
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