Manchester City face a defensive crisis as they host Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Etihad.
Joao Cancelo, deployed most often at left-back this season, will serve a suspension after picking up his third booking of the competition during the second leg against Atletico Madrid.
His full-back partner Kyle Walker suffered an ankle injury at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium and is a doubt for Tuesday’s game.
Along with Walker, John Stones was absent from City’s match against Watford on Saturday after the centre-back sustained a hamstring injury during a 3-0 win over Brighton on Wednesday.
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Nathan Ake’s fitness is also under a cloud despite playing as a substitute on Saturday following an injury worry against Brighton resulting in the Dutch international being replaced at half-time.
“Both of them are doubts,” Guardiola said of Stones and Walker. “We’ll know on Tuesday morning. We’ll decide if we take a risk or not, or if players like Nathan feel better. I can say it’s a day to take a risk but if you are not able, if you have pain, you cannot play.”
Guardiola hinted on the weekend that Gabriel Jesus, subject of transfer links to Arsenal recently, could play right-back but at his pre-match conference he confirmed that the Brazilian will not be deployed in defence.
The most likely replacement at left-back is Oleksandr Zinchenko although it is a sign of where he sits in the pecking that he is the only natural left-back at the club, yet Cancelo and Ake have started ahead of the Ukrainian at the full-back position. Zinchenko has only started seven league games this season.
As if to confirm the precarious nature of City’s squad, Guardiola revealed that Monday’s training session would be key in deciding the line-up. He also said that Walker has not trained for 10 days and Stones has not been present since the Brighton clash.
If none of his struggling defenders pass late fitness test, Guardiola could re-shuffle Laporte to left-back, Zinchenko over to the right and ask Rodri to deputise at centre-back as he has before, or put the midfielder in on the right and have three defenders playing in their regular position rather than just two.
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There could hardly be a worse time for City to hit a defensive injury crisis, with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema having his best goal-scoring season since 2009, having netted 39 already.
“He is in the best moment in his career,” said Rodri. “He understands every part of the game and is scoring goals, important goals.”
Against Chelsea Benzema became the fourth player to score consecutive hat-tricks in the Champions League and will aim to inflict similar damage on a second English team.
Benzema waited nine years to become the main man at Real, previously being outshone by Cristiano Ronaldo and even the clamour for the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Now, in the lull between these two apparent eras, the Frenchman has grasped his chance.
- Manchester City (possible): Ederson; Zinchenko, Dias, Laporte, Rodri; Bernardo, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Jesus, Foden.
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