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Vincent Kompany ’s preparation for Manchester City ’s Premier League campaign should have gone like clockwork.

The Blues skipper was back at the City Football Academy well ahead of his team-mates last month to get in trim for the pre-season tour . That after sitting out the last six weeks of last season.

And despite missing the tour defeat to Real Madrid and the turkey shoot against Vietnam after leaving the Australia for the birth of his third child, he played significant minutes in the other warm-up games and took part in the preparation work on the Gold Coast.

Yet following the Blues’ calamitous first-half display against Stuttgart at the weekend, even the most loyal Blues are questioning whether the big Belgian is ready to anchor the City backline as the start of the season looms.

Kompany was part of a defence that looked like they had barely been introduced to each other as they shipped four goals in alarming fashion before half-time.

His team-mates were culpable too and manager Manuel Pellegrini’s attacking formation against the Germans - as for much of last season in the Premier League and Europe in particular - did Kompany and his defensive sidekicks few favours.

The defeat - and the manner of the performance - has put some City fans on edge before the opener at West Brom on Monday and prompted comments such as the following.

Kippax Kid: The daft thing is that we've known for almost twelve months that Vincent Kompany is the weak link in central defence. Our best / most effective defensive performances last season involved Mangala and Demichelis

grimreaper46: Seriously I do wonder if Kompany has had his best years. We are waiting for Mangala's best years!

groanandbearit: Despite nothing riding on the game the defense was shocking, Kompany in particular.

It would have been unthinkable to picture a City defence without Kompany this time last year.

The Belgian has been a colossus in the Blues’ back four, a key figure in the club’s two titles wins and, along with Joe Hart, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero an indomitable part of the spine of the team under successive managers.

However, his form and fitness last season was by his own admission patchy and below his usually high standards - and Pellegrini stuck with the combination of Martin Demichelis and Eliaquim Mangala in the centre of defence for the run-in.

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Since then Jason Denayer has emerged as a young alternative keen to make the step up. Kompany has said he is confident he - and City - can put the travails of last season behind them.

And Pellegrini backed his captain to handle his injury issues in the same way John Terry did for Chelsea last season.

He said: “For every player it is important not to have an injury but when you come back from injury two or three times it can be difficult.

“But I think Vincent will return to his normal performance because he is a very good player. Maybe next season he will not have injury problems. Last season what you said about Terry was said about Vincent.”

At 29, Kompany has five years on the old Stamford Bridge warhorse - and the Stuttgart performance could just be a blip, easily forgotten if City win their first five Premier League matches.

But that game - and his displays last season - have been enough to raise doubts in the minds of many fans where previously there was complete trust.