Vincent Kompany will not be able to play in his own testimonial match tonight due to injury.
The former Manchester City skipper was due to be part of the Blues’ Legends XI which takes on a Premier League XI to raise funds aimed at combating homelessness in Manchester.
But injury has intervened, and as he is now player-manager of Anderlecht he could not afford to take any chances.
Kompany was asked whether he would play and said: “Unfortunately no, I won’t be starting tonight or playing. It’s typical of me, I’ve got a slight hamstring injury so I couldn’t risk it tonight but there’s a lot of awesome players.
“It’s a celebration to say goodbye and I don’t have to be on the pitch. It’s for an unbelievable cause.
“For me not to play because of an injury … the irony hasn’t escaped anyone!”
Kompany missed many games due to injury in his last few seasons at City, but still managed to have a big impact.
That was most noticeable in his final season, when he came in to steady the ship as City slipped seven points behind leaders Liverpool.
He was a key figure as they put together a 14-match winning streak to pip the Merseysiders on the final day of the season, meaning he finished his career with all three domestic trophies.
