**Pep Guardiola’s defensive options have taken a further blow with Rico Lewis enduring a one-match suspension following a red card against Crystal Palace on Saturday.**
Manchester City came from behind twice against the London club at Selhurst Park on the weekend to take a point back to the Etihad Stadium and ensure that their attempts to build back a run of unbeaten form continues.
Daniel Munoz had put the hosts ahead inside the opening five minutes before Erling Haaland would get on the end of a Matheus Nunes cross to head home an equaliser for Manchester City before the half-time interval.
City would be unable to build on that goal however, and Maxence Lacroix would leap above Kyle Walker at a corner for the simplest of finishes beyond Stefan Ortega Moreno to regain Palace’s lead.
Rico Lewis would then endure the ultimate mixed bag of fortunes as his sensational equalising goal for Manchester City would be followed up by a second yellow card issued by referee Rob Jones during the final exchanges in South London.
The 20-year-old’s dismissal at Selhurst Park for a second bookable offence now means that he will take on a one-match suspension, and subsequently an absence from next weekend’s meeting with Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.
That clash between Manchester’s giants could not come at a more important phase of the season for both sides, as they look to rebuild form and get a run of results going under very different stages of their developments under respective managers.
From the part of Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City boss may have to deploy a system without a long list of defensive options, with injury problems having been sustained by Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, and John Stones in recent weeks.
Lewis’ suspension adds further complications to the selection dilemmas, and as such may open up an opportunity for Jahmai Simpson-Pusey to start in one of the most fiercely-fought derby matches in world football.
Before then, Manchester City travel to Turin on matchday six of the league phase in the UEFA Champions League, with Juventus their next opponents as Guardiola looks to bounce back from a defeat against Sporting and a 3-3 draw to Feyenoord at home.