Joey Barton has suggested that Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has hampered his fitness with his gym routine.

The Belgium international, who spent a month on the sidelines with a calf muscle injury in December, has been criticised for his performances against Barcelona and Liverpool.

While Barton believes that Kompany will return to form, the Queens Park Rangers midfielder has suggested that the defender may have put too much focus on lifting weights in the gym.

"Players go through peaks and troughs in terms of form," Barton told BBC Radio 5 live. "Kompany was exceptional last season when City won the league and was being touted as the best defender in Europe.

"But a few weeks back, before City had a bit of a wobble, a couple of things happened in games - like in and he just looked really top-heavy.

"I don't know whether the period he had out injured has meant he's gone in the gym and done more weights and more weights, and the top of his body has got more defined than the bottom. I just thought he didn't turn the way he usually does."

City are currently five points below leaders Chelsea in the Premier League.