Manchester City’s defensive stocks are severely depleted for the Manchester derby | OneFootball

Manchester City will enter Sunday’s Manchester derby against Manchester United with only three senior defenders available. That is the reality of the situation Pep Guardiola must deal with as Manchester City’s injury crisis has decimated his defensive options. But that situation may allow a player like Matheus Nunes to shine based on Pep Guardiola’s comments today.

The City manager went into further detail about the injury suffered by Manuel Akanji. Speaking during his pre-game press conference he said: “He has discomfort in the area of the pelvis, the adductor, and doesn’t feel good. He’s made an incredible effort playing at Bournemouth when him and Nathan [Ake] were not even half at their best, and it helped us to play there and at the end, he can play all the time, 45 minutes, 15, and he stepped back and said, ‘I have to recover otherwise I cannot be’. And Manu is a strong player, and so reliable, but in that moment cannot be there.”

Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji join John Stones who are out of Sunday’s derby with injury. Rico Lewis will miss the match due to suspension. Lewis was sent off for picking up two yellow cards during Manchester City’s 2-all draw with Crystal Palace last weekend. That means only Josko Gvardiol, Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias are available of City’s senior defenders. Jahmai Simpson-Pusey could start on Sunday but that remains to be seen.

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Pep Guardiola was unsure how his team would cover the loss of so many defenders. But he did tell the media today he did have options. He explained: “I don’t know what to do! I need players, we will see what happens today and tomorrow, and the players we have and we will see about it. Maybe some wingers have to play as a full-back, or Matheus maybe can play as a full-back, or maybe play with five-at-the-back with wing-backs as wingers. I don’t know. I’m thinking what to do for the situation that we have just three defenders. But the soul and the spirit of this team is there.”

We have seen Bernardo Silva employed as a full-back before. But perhaps Matheus Nunes can slot in at right-back or play as a wing-back tomorrow. Whatever the solution is there is no doubt that Pep Guardiola will be determined to find it. Although Manchester City’s defensive stocks are depleted ahead of Sunday’s clash with Manchester United there are options available for Pep Guardiola. It will now be interesting to see what he does to cover the loss of so many of City’s senior defenders ahead of such a massive fixture.