Pep Guardiola has admitted mounting injuries at the back could force him to name a surprise Manchester City side when they take on Manchester United in Sunday’s derby.
The champions will be without the injured John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji on Sunday with Rico Lewis set to serve a suspension following his red card against Crystal Palace last week.
It leaves Guardiola with the senior options of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol with Guardiola explaining he will have to get very creative with his starting XI against United.
City’s miserable run of form continued on Wednesday night, having now lost seven of their last 10 games following defeat to Juventus in Turin.
But Guardiola is adamant ‘the soul and spirit’ of the team remains intact ahead of what could be a season-defining derby against Ruben Amorim’s side.
‘I don’t know what I have to do,’ Guardiola told a press conference on Friday. ‘I need players. We have three. We will see what happens today and tomorrow with the players we have and we will have a think about it.
‘Maybe some wingers will have to play as a full-back or maybe Matheus [Nunes] can play as a full-back or maybe play five in the back with wing-backs as wingers. I don’t know. I’m thinking still a little bit.
‘But the soul and sprit of the team is there. I’m sad for the players because the way they run and fight with the circumstances they have. Bernardo has played a lot of minutes, [Ilkay] Gundogan is playing in a position he can play sometimes but is playing there alone game by game.
‘Rico one of our more consistent players this season, because of the decision of the referee [last weekend against Crystal Palace] cannot play there.
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‘I know our fans our sad, maybe we lose seven games in one season and we have now lost that in one month. But they know this group of players has made an era no one else has done.
Akanji and Ake have both missed City’s last two games with Guardiola explaining both played through the pain barrier in their last appearances in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
‘He [Akanji] has a discomfort in the pelvis area and adductor and it doesn’t feel good,’ Guardiola said.
‘He made an incredible effort when he and Nathan were both not even at half of their best to play. At the end they played the time they played and had to step back. Manu is a strong player, he is so reliable but at the moment he cannot be that.’
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