Manchester City face defensive crisis with another central defender sidelined

Manchester City find themselves in a defensive crisis following a thigh injury for John Stones which will keep him out of action for four weeks at the least.

The Citizens started the season with just three senior central defenders in their ranks and out of those, Aymeric Laporte suffered a serious knee surgery last month which will sideline him for most of the season.

As a result, Guardiola was expected to bank upon Stones and Nicolas Otamendi for the central defensive duties until the turn of the year but the former has now picked up a thigh problem.

The injury is expected to sideline the former Everton man for around a month and that has left Guardiola in a crisis with no senior central defenders to accompany Otamendi.

Instead, Guardiola has a couple of makeshift options in the form of Kyle Walker and Fernandinho but neither of them have been regularly utilised in the position in the past.