Over the course of the very long season the injury bug takes a bite or two out of every team. Some sides getting bit more, and harsher of course than other. And for some teams, the injury toll begins to pile up early in the season, just ask Manchester City.
The defending Premier League champions, we learned today, will be without their best centre back in Aymeric Laporte until 2020. The winners of the first domestic treble in English history last season are already without stellar German winger Leroy Sane until February or March.
I will come back soon and stronger! ????https://t.co/y3794Yw8pd pic.twitter.com/DCuWiJCMWe
— Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) September 4, 2019
Of course, if one team can adjust to the attrition brought forth by injuries, it’s the Sky Blue juggernaut. John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi must be the first choice center back pairing now, as they’re the only true central defenders on the team.
However, central midfielder Fernandinho has said that he’s been training at the position in recent weeks. This revelation certainly makes the summer acquisition of Rodri look even more astute as he beefs up the midfield depth while Fernandinho slides down to the back line.
With Vincent Kompany gone and City not willing to spend as much on Harry Maguire as United did, Pep Guardiola’s side didn’t get any deeper at the position this summer.
Another idea is to move Kyle Walker over to the center and then slot another summer acquisition, Joao Cancelo, at the right back position.
Otherwise Guardiola could really shake things up and switch from a back four to a back three?
I don’t know, it seems like City is going to just have to really outscore their opponents for awhile, at least while Aymeric Laporte is out, and that is certainly something that they are more than capable of doing; given all the goals records that they have set in recent years.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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