Guardiola seeks to address the defense problem before facing Manchester United
Pep Guardiola, coach of the English football team Manchester City, is looking for the best possible way to deal with the defensive problems that his team is suffering from before playing the derby match against Manchester United the day after tomorrow, Sunday, at Etihad Stadium.
The British news agency (PA Media) reported that Guardiola expects three defenders, Kyle Walker, Ruben Diaz, and Yoshko Gvardiol, to participate in the match, as Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, and John Stones are absent due to injury, while Rico Luis is suspended after receiving a red card. In the match in which the team tied with Crystal Palace last week.
Akanji was the latest to join the injured list after he left at halftime in the match against Nottingham Forest, earlier this month, when Guardiola revealed that the player was suffering from a stomach problem.
The Manchester City coach said: “Akanji is a strong player and can be relied upon, but at this time this is not possible.”
He added: “I don’t know what to do. I need players. We will see what happens today and tomorrow, in terms of available players. Maybe a winger will have to play as a full-back, or maybe Matheus Nunez will play as a full-back, or maybe I will play with five players in defense where I can play as a full-back.” The full-backs can play as wingers.”
After losing with two clean goals to Juventus last Wednesday in the Champions League, Manchester City has lost seven matches and achieved one victory in the last ten matches.
He said: “We feel sad. I am sad for the players because of the way they manage the matches and fight in light of the circumstances they are living in. Our fans, perhaps feel sad. I completely understand this, because we may have lost in seven matches, eight matches in one or two seasons, and now in… A month and a half.”
He stressed: “But they know that this group of players created an era that no one had done before. The numbers and statistics, now negative, but also positive, I encourage the fans to support them until the end because they deserve it.”
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