Pep Guardiola faces a right-back dilemma as Manu Akanji's injury throws City's defensive plans into disarray. Rico Lewis's struggles and the lack of ideal replacements leave the club vulnerable ahead of crucial matches.
Pep Guardiola 's injury update on Manu Akanji and Jack Grealish on Friday could hold significant implications for Manchester City 's immediate future. Rico Lewis endured a torrid time against the likes of Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe this week, and facing the attacking threat of Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak this weekend offers little respite.
Kyle Walker's departure, Lewis's recent dip in form, and now Akanji's potential injury after his substitution against Real Madrid – following a first half where he finally seemed to have addressed the right-back conundrum – present a major headache for City. If, as rumors suggest, Akanji is sidelined for an extended period, City will be back to square one against Newcastle just when they appeared to have found a solution.Lewis would naturally be the most likely replacement for Akanji. He began the season strongly at right-back but has since encountered difficulties, particularly after his red card against Crystal Palace. If he becomes the first-choice right-back going forward, he faces a daunting schedule of opponents, including Gordon, Vinicius, Salah, and Heung-min Son in the coming weeks – hardly a lineup that inspires confidence in a player currently lacking it. There has been a clamor on social media for Abdukodir Khusanov to be deployed at right-back instead. He has shown promise since a shaky start to his debut but hasn't played a full 90 minutes since joining City, with half of his minutes coming against a League One team. The same concerns about Lewis facing these world-class wingers apply even more so to Khusanov. Matheus Nunes, prone to costly errors when deployed at right-back, is another option, but far from an ideal solution. Could John Stones be a temporary fix at right-back? It would require him to be shifted away from the holding midfield role where he looked so comfortable against Real Madrid and potentially from his usual center-back position when needed. While he might be the most capable defender among the available right-back alternatives, it's his third preferred position, and the demand of playing three times a week could be too much. Therefore, it appears Lewis or Nunes might be the most likely candidates to fill the void if Akanji is out for any significant length of time. It may not be a pretty solution, and more errors are inevitable, but it would send a clear message to incoming Sporting Director Hugo Viana that a right-back should be the top priority once the summer transfer window opens
Manchester City Pep Guardiola Manu Akanji Injury Right-Back Rico Lewis Kyle Walker Transfer Rumours
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