Pep Guardiola: I don’t know how I’ll set up v Manchester United with just three fit defenders

Pep Guardiola has revealed he has just three fit senior defenders for Sunday’s Manchester derby, and will need to find an alternative solution due to his lack of options.

Injuries to Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and John Stones have reduced Guardiola’s pool of available defenders in recent matches and that was compounded by Rico Lewis’ dismissal last week away to Crystal Palace, meaning he is suspended for this weekend’s visit of Manchester United.

Therefore, City can only turn to Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, in addition to the inexperienced Jahmai Simpson-Pusey. It leaves Guardiola with a huge dilemma ahead of the derby.

“We have three and we will see what happens today and tomorrow,” the City boss admitted ahead of the game. “I need players. We have three and we will see what happens today and tomorrow.

"Maybe some winger has to play as a full-back or Matheus [Nunes] can play as a full-back, or maybe can play five at the back with wing-backs as wingers. We are thinking what to do with a situation with just three central defenders.

Guardiola has referenced on several occasions in recent weeks that he does not have the numbers available to rotate, which is causing players struggling with fatigue to stay in the team. That, in turn, will inevitably lead to further injuries.

“Why is Nathan injured again? Why He played 90 minutes and 90 minutes, three days later after being on the table massage for one month and a half,” said Guardiola. “Training one and a half day, recovery session, 90 minutes and then 90 minutes. If I had John or Manu, Nathan would not have played 90 minutes. With the amount of games we suffer it and that’s the truth.

“Bernardo played a lot of minutes, Gundo played alone in position where he can play sometimes and arrive in the final third a few times,” he added. “ Kevin is coming back, the last game was better than the previous ones. Two months injured and the five last season - that’s step by step. In modern football, Erling played all the minutes, what he has done it’s unbelievable.

“Without him I don’t know who we would be. All of them and honestly it’s so emotional from my point of view when I see them before and during the recovery time and time spent to be fit in this period.

“It's unbelievable what they have done and do in the circumstances to compete in this calendar. There are more games than ever, we have more injuries than ever. When people say what is the problem it's the schedule. It's not the training, not the doctors, not the physios, not the players, not how they eat or how they rest. It's just one problem: the schedule.”

On Akanji’s injury, Guardiola added: “He had discomfort in the pelvis and doesn't feel good. He made an incredible effort to play in Bournemouth when him and Nathan were not even half at their best and played there.

“He can play 45 minutes but had to step back and recover, otherwise he cannot be there. Manu is a strong player and so reliable but at the minute he cannot be there.”