Pep Guardiola Names Fernandinho Among Manchester City CB Options Amid Injuries

Pep Guardiola is set to rely on players playing out of position and young prospects emerging to help cover Manchester City's many injuries in defence. Fernandinho will be the key to how City cope, with the 34-year-old holding midfielder expected to get the first chance to fill in at the back. 

Aymeric Laporte has already been ruled out until 2020 with an ankle problem, but fellow centre-back John Stones will join him on the treatment table, after Guardiola confirmed on Tuesday the England international will be missing for as long as "four, five or six weeks," per Sky Sports.

Asked how his team will cope, Guardiola name-checked Fernandinho, per Matt Atherton of the Daily Express: "It's an incredible challenge with just one central defender. Fernandinho, and maybe Eric Garcia and Taylor Bellis will come forward for the next few months."

Guardiola was speaking ahead of Wednesday's game away to Shakhtar Donetsk, City's first in this season's UEFA Champions League. The injury list at the heart of defence raises serious doubts about the Citizens' ability to finally win this trophy having been eliminated at the quarter-final stage in each of Guardiola's three years in charge.

However, the City boss has made it clear the Premier League champions won't shirk away from the challenge, both domestically and in Europe, of coping without Stones and Laporte: "What we will not do is complain that they are not able to play. Football is not how you handle good situations, but how you handle bad ones. We won seven titles and no one gave us anything, we did it ourselves. I am ready for the challenge. I like this situation."

Defiance aside, even a bullish Guardiola must be wary about exactly how his team will adjust to having so few established central defenders fit and available. Saturday's 3-2 defeat to Norwich City in England's top flight was an ominous sign, with Nicolas Otamendi, City's last senior man standing at centre-back, struggling mightily in Laporte's absence.

Otamendi's issues have come at the wrong time, particularly ahead of facing a capable Shakhtar team. The hosts are loaded with forward-thinking talents such as Marlos, winger Yevhen Konoplyanka and striker Junior Moraes.

They will pose a stern test for Fernandinho, himself a former Shakhtar star. The South American veteran has been pressed into service as an auxiliary centre-back before, starting there for a 3-1 win over Arsenal back in February.

Converting a battle-hardened midfielder into a linchpin at the back is something Guardiola has done before during his days in charge at Barcelona:

The move makes sense for Fernandinho, who has seen his role as the anchor in midfield usurped by summer import Rodri. Remodelling himself as a dependable defender could add years to the winter of his trophy-laden career.

Even so, Guardiola may be better served trusting a natural centre-back for the time being. The mention of Garcia was significant given the teenage Spaniard's burgeoning reputation:

Unfortunately for Garcia, Guardiola has been reluctant to trust youth prospects much during his City tenure. Yet he may have little choice while he scrambles to respond to a lack of investment to provide cover at a key position after Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala moved on this summer.

Stones' and Laporte's injuries only make City's risky decision to enter the campaign with just three senior central defenders look more foolhardy.