The Citizens will have to play without a key defender against Erik ten Hag’s in-form team.
Pep Guardiola has confirmed John Stones will not play for Manchester City in their upcoming clash against Manchester United.
The Citizens are preparing for a crucial Manchester derby, hoping to return to winning ways after their shock defeat in the EFL Cup.
Ruben Dias’ absence has already limited Guardiola’s options in defence. But the Spaniard must deal with the injury of another one of his regular starters.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference, he said: “[Stones] is not ready. I think everyone else is fit.”
Aymeric Laporte, who hasn’t started a game for City since after the World Cup, will most likely replace Stones in Guardiola’s lineup.
Earlier this season, Man City smashed United 6-3 with a fantastic attacking display. But the Citizens’ poor display in their 2-0 defeat against Southampton suggests United might have a chance to push for a revenge victory.
Reflecting on the surprising defeat, Guardiola added: “What happened didn’t surprise me, it happened.
“It happens because we do four Premier League titles in five years. Sometimes this competition shows me in terms of consistency what we have to do. This is our strength in previous seasons.
“After back-to-back [titles] two times, this could happen. We are not ready to go there and be ourselves.
“Not talking about winning the Carabao Cup or winning games, be ourselves. I was a little concerned it could happen, I don’t know if it will happen again.”
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