After the 1:1 against Chelsea, the alarm bells are ringing at Manchester City: Josko Gvardiol and Rúben Dias, two central defenders, are injured - coach Pep Guardiola warns of a precarious personnel situation.
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- Manchester City currently have major injury worries in central defense: Josko Gvardiol is out with a fractured tibia, Rúben Dias is also injured and John Stones has been missing since December.
- Coach Pep Guardiola therefore warns of the acute shortage of personnel: "We have no players."
- A new arrival in the winter is likely; Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace, whose contract expires in the summer, is considered a possible candidate.
Manchester City are running out of central defenders! Last Sunday in the 1:1 draw against Chelsea, two central central defenders - Josko Gvardiol (shin fracture) and Rúben Dias (muscle injury) - suffered injuries and had to be substituted. John Stones has also been missing since the beginning of December with a thigh problem.
Gvardiol will have to undergo surgery this week and will be out indefinitely. Further examinations will have to show how serious Dias' injury is, but it doesn't look good, City coach Pep Guardiola said after the game.
And the 54-year-old immediately sounded the alarm: "Did you see the bench today? There were four young players and there will be more now. We have no players," the Catalan told the international news agency Reuters.
The second guard wasn't cheap either
That leaves Guardiola with Nathan Aké and Abdukodir Khusanov in central defense, both of whom have only been used sporadically so far. Although the two are not among the first choice, they are certainly renowned players. Aké moved from Bournemouth to Man City for €45 million in August 2020, while Khusanov joined the Citizens around a year ago, also for €40 million.
To ensure that there is not a complete lack of alternatives to the duo, City have already reacted and ended the loan of 20-year-old Max Alleyne - who was on loan to Watford - with immediate effect.
The winter transfer window in England has been open since January 1 and closes on February 3. It is therefore quite possible that ManCity will strike again. According to the BBC, England international Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace is a hot candidate. The 25-year-old's contract expires in the summer and the top clubs are all vying for the central defender. A move to Liverpool FC was imminent in the summer and FC Bayern is also said to be very interested.
