The board of Manchester City is ready to approve the purchase of a central defender during the January transfer window.

City had no plans to act in the winter window but Vincent Kompany’s latest injury may force a rethink of that position.

City signed John Stones in the summer while also pursuing Leonardo Bonucci and Aymeric Laporte.

Kompany will be ruled out for a minimum of a month with a knee injury meaning he will have missed 39 weeks of this calendar year.