Manuel Pellegrini has described Manchester City's quarter-final draw with Paris Saint-Germain as "difficult" but is happy the club has avoided Barcelona.
The manager also clarified Vincent Kompany‘s injury, stating it is to a different calf to his last problem and that he is hopeful the defender can return in a month.
‘New injury’
This is contrary to
Marc Wilmots
, the Belgium head coach, who said of his captain yesterday: “
Vincent Kompany
will be out for six to eight weeks. He’s injured the other calf.”
However Pellegrini said: “I am talking to the doctor and I think Vincent has an injury in the other leg,“ he said. “It’s not the same calf as last time. It’s a new injury in the other calf. It’s not really in the calf, but high behind the knee. We will see how he improves, but maybe in one month he can be ready, so in part of the season, he will play again.”
Regarding the Champions League meeting with PSG, the first leg of which is at the Parc de Princes on April 6th, Pellegrini said: "It's a difficult draw as always. When you are among the best eight teams in Europe, it's always a difficult draw. At the moment, Barcelona are the team that makes a difference. All the others are exactly the same. You never know what is an easy draw.
“We are in the eight best teams, maybe one team can have less of a name than another, but they are in the same stage because they deserve it and because they eliminated important teams. So I don’t think the last eight you can have an easy draw.”
Pellegrini is pleased City are at the Etihad Stadium for the second leg. “Yes, that’s better. I always prefer to finish at home, the first leg away so you know what you must do in your home game,” he said.
On Sunday City host Manchester United in the 171st derby.
Elsewhere, Barcelona's quest to retain the title they won last year will see Luis Enrique's side take on La Liga rivals Atlético Madrid.
Reward
German side Wolfsburg’s reward for reaching this stage of the competition for the first time is a tie against 10-time winners
Real Madrid
, while
Bayern Munich
face
Benfica
in the other tie.
Barcelona, the five-time champions who comfortably defeated Arsenal in the last 16, have won their last six meetings with Atlético.
The first leg will be played at the Camp Nou, with the return at the Vicente Calderón. Guardian Service
