Pep Guardiola has mentioned accidents might result in Manchester Metropolis doing extra enterprise in January after confirming centre-back Ruben Dias is out for as much as six weeks with a hamstring drawback.
Metropolis have additionally misplaced one other centre-back with Josko Gvardiol set to bear surgical procedure after struggling a leg fracture within the 1-1 draw in opposition to Chelsea.
Sky Sports activities Information understands discussions will happen at Metropolis about probably fast-tracking summer season plans to signal a defender in January which might deliver Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi into rivalry.
Guardiola says there will probably be no repeat of the £176m January spend of final yr however will not be ruling out including to his squad to deal with the mounting damage issues.
Requested if Metropolis will go huge once more in January because of the defensive accidents, he mentioned: “No. Possibly we get one thing however it’s utterly completely different. We aren’t going to purchase 4 or 5 gamers like final season.”
On Dias’ damage, Guardiola mentioned: “Hamstring. 4 to 6 weeks.”
Manchester Metropolis’s Ruben Dias picked up a hamstring damage through the 1-1 draw in opposition to Chelsea
Metropolis have already recalled younger centre-back Max Alleyne from Watford for further cowl with John Stones “not prepared for the following video games”, in accordance with Guardiola.
The Metropolis boss at the moment has solely Nathan Ake, Abdukodir Khusanov and the 20-year-old Alleyne obtainable at centre-back. Alleyne has but to play a senior sport for Metropolis.
Metropolis play Brighton tomorrow at residence within the Premier League earlier than internet hosting Exeter Metropolis within the FA Cup third-round.
Wednesday seventh January 6:00pm
Kick off 7:30pm
Might defensive points price Man Metropolis the title?
Sky Sports activities’ Laura Hunter:
Pep Guardiola had discovered a settled components on the again this season, naming the identical defensive 4 to begin in 12 of 20 video games to this point. Of these 12 video games, 10 led to victory – the one defeat being a 2-1 loss at Newcastle.
With Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias on the coronary heart of issues, Metropolis have two athletic centre-backs who can play, and stability the left and proper sides completely.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Manchester Metropolis’s match in opposition to Chelsea within the Premier League
However here is the place issues come up. Metropolis’s stability depends on that mixture – Dias-Gvardiol flanked by Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes – being match and obtainable. They’re not.
Each Dias and Gvardiol limped out of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea and it made Guardiola’s facet significantly weaker, significantly extra susceptible. They conceded floor after which a late equaliser.
Talking on his podcast, Gary Neville mentioned Metropolis’s makeshift again 4 might price them a run on the title: “I have a look at that Metropolis again 4 and that issues me, that isn’t going to win a title.”
With Dias out for as much as six weeks, Gvardiol sidelined for the foreseeable future and John Stones additionally out, Metropolis are gentle on the bacl.
It leaves a giant gap that Guardiola doesn’t have the personnel to fill, and with seven video games throughout 4 completely different competitions within the month of January alone, that may be a huge drawback.
