**Pep Guardiola is facing a potentially disastrous problem in his Manchester City defence in the lead-up to the first Manchester derby clash against Ruben Amorim’s United.**
The Premier League champions will be desperate to ensure that they built upon their last two matches being unbeaten following a 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest to break a seven-match winless streak, and a 2-2 draw away to Crystal Palace.
The contest against Ruben Amorim’s side comes in a crucial week for the club across competitions, following a trip to Turin in Italy to take on Juventus on matchday six of the league phase in the UEFA Champions League.
A heavy 4-1 defeat to Sporting Lisbon and a calamitous 3-3 draw against Feyenoord at home moved City towards the lower positions of the league table, and victory is essential should they wish to be in contention for an automatic qualification place for the last-16.
But unless Manchester City’s medical department can work their magic over the coming hours and days, Pep Guardiola is likely to face a mammoth task in forming a strong enough defence to hold out against either Juventus or Manchester United.
As things currently stand both on an injury and fitness front for Guardiola, City will have to take on Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium next weekend without all of Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, and John Stones as central defensive options.
Akanji is the most likely to regain fitness throughout the week in the lead-up to the meeting with the club’s bitter city rivals, with Guardiola suggesting that he would be assessed as to whether he could be involved against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
Nathan Ake and John Stones are likely to remain ruled out with the former having sustained a muscular problem late on in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, and the latter battling a foot problem.
Rico Lewis is a confirmed absentee for Manchester City against Manchester United, having received a second yellow card against Crystal Palace on Saturday and taking on a one-match domestic suspension through his dismissal.
As such, Manchester City’s only senior defensive options for the clash against the Old Trafford club as things stand are club captain Kyle Walker, alongside a natural centre-back duo of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.
Among the younger players to have been involved in senior first-team football for Pep Guardiola this season, and could be selected for matchday duties against United, are Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Kaden Braithwaite.
Pep Guardiola faces the media on Tuesday afternoon to look ahead to the clash with Juventus in European competition, before media duties will commence ahead of the Manchester derby from Friday afternoon.