Pep Guardiola is considering playing a winger at the back in Sunday’s Manchester derby after being reduced to three available senior defenders by Manchester City’s injury crisis.
The City manager could go for an unorthodox solution to the problem of a lack of defenders as he suggested he might turn an attacker or midfielder Matheus Nunes into an auxiliary full-back for the clash with Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.
John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji are all still injured, while Rico Lewis is suspended after his red card at Crystal Palace last week, so Guardiola can only call upon Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.
He could bring teenager Jahmai Simpson-Pusey back into the team but is also looking at moving a more experienced player into a defensive role or using wing-backs, to match United’s formation.
And he admitted: “I don’t know what I have to do. We have three and we will see what what happens. Maybe some winger has to play as a full-back or Matheus can play as a full-back, or we can play five at the back with wingers as wing-backs.
“We are thinking what to do with a situation with just three central defenders.”
Akanji, who has not played since the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, remains sidelined and Guardiola added: “He had discomfort in the pelvis and doesn’t feel good. He made an incredible effort to play in Bournemouth when him and Nathan were not even half at their best and played there. Manu is a strong player and so reliable but at the minute he can’t be there.”
Guardiola denied that he is looking to buy in the January transfer window, even as City reported financial figures that give them money to spend. City made a £73m profit last year, including a profit of £139m on transfers, but the Catalan said his priority is to get his injured contingent back.
“What I want is my players back,” he explained. “I would desperately love to compete with the squad we had at the beginning of the season.”
