Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has explained that his reason behind benching Vincent Kompany for Wednesday's 2-1 win over Sevilla was simply precautionary.
Pellegrini kept his fit-again captain out of the first XI for the second game in succession, having also done so in Saturday's 5-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth.
Speculation is rife that the Chilean is punishing the Belgian, who reported for international duty earlier this month despite only just returning from a calf injury, but the City chief is adamant that playing Kompany - who came on in stoppage time - would have been a risk.
"I think that Nicolas Otamendi and Mangala played very well, both of them," he told reporters. "We played very well against Bournemouth and Newcastle - we won 5-1 and 6-1.
"Vincent is coming back after a month, maybe it was a risk to give him the responsibility to play in this important game.
"For me, I try to [pick] every game and every week the team that I think are in this moment ready to play."
Kevin De Bruyne struck an injury-time winner as City came from behind to boost their hopes of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.
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