As far as preparations for a massive, potentially title-deciding match go, this week couldn’t have got much worse for Manchester City.
The international break seemed perfectly timed for Manchester City as it would allow crucial trio Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and Jack Grealish to rest and recover to face Arsenal on Sunday.
But with one hand it gives and the other it takes away as four players picked up knocks while away with their countries.
Matheus Nunes and Manuel Akanji both missed their nations’ second matches during the break after suffering knocks in training.
Kyle Walker and John Stones, meanwhile, suffered injuries in friendlies that have now ruled them out for Sunday’s game.
Pep Guardiola provides a Man City injury update ahead of Arsenal fixture
In his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, Pep Guardiola gave the news that City fans had been fearing all week.
“Injuries, Ederson is much, much better. Kyle [Walker] and John [Stones], out”, Guardiola said, via Manchester City’s official YouTube channel.
“Kyle’s [injury is] more tough than John’s but they will be out, I don’t know for how many games.”
The defensive duo both got injured while playing for England.
Walker lasted just 20 minutes as captain in the defeat to Brazil. Gareth Southgate initially hoped it was just precautionary but the injury has turned out worse than feared.
Stones lasted half as long as Walker when he hobbled off the pitch 10 minutes into the entertaining draw with Belgium on Tuesday.
It now leaves Guardiola without two of his most important players for the visit of the league leaders.
A wild card solution to City’s defensive woes
Thankfully, it does appear that Akanji will be fit to face the Gunners, with Guardiola saying ‘he’s okay’ in his press conference.
In all likelihood, the Swiss will play at right-back with Josko Gvardiol on the opposite flank and a central pairing of Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.
It’s not bad at all but it is missing something absolutely vital to making City tick. Someone who can push out from defence into a midfield position.
Stones does the role like no one else in the game, making him such a profound loss for a match in which City will have to be at their best or risk seeing their title hopes slide away.
Akanji has been the one trusted to do it in Stones’ absence this season but he simply can’t do it as well.
It’s not his fault, it’s an incredibly complex, difficult task and he isn’t as assured in possession.
But it’s a task that’s going to be even harder against the relentless press of Arsenal. It’s already easy to envisage Akanji getting caught in possession and City being done with a quick turnover.
A solution to the problem could well be in playing Rico Lewis at right-back instead.
The teenager has seen his prominence in the side slip in 2024 as he has made just four appearances since the turn of the year. Exactly the same as Sergio Gomez.
Yet, he has shown a remarkable aptitude for moving into midfield positions from his right-back spot and is much more composed on the ball in tight spaces than Akanji.
It would be a big risk. Lewis is still very inexperienced in the biggest matchups and he might be rusty after just 283 minutes on the pitch so far this year.
But, if Guardiola aims to deploy the tactic against Arsenal – and it’s the one City play their best football with – then Lewis might be the wild card choice.
