"If Phil Foden has to play at centre-back, he will play at centre-back!"
Pep Guardiola was in a mischievous mood on Sunday after Manchester City's win over Newcastle — and not just when he claimed the whole country wanted Liverpool to win the Premier League. City had responded perfectly to their Real Madrid disaster and took a huge step towards the title with their big win at the Etihad. But the 5-0 win didn't come without a cost.
After the game, Guardiola confirmed that injury absentees Kyle Walker and John Stones would miss the final three games of the season, as would Ruben Dias, who went off at half-time with his own injury. Nathan Ake remained on the bench with his own problem, with CJ Egan-Riley and Fernandinho ending the match at centre-back. City are going to limp over the line if they are to win the league.
