Pep Guardiola issues centre-back transfer clarity amid Manchester City injury concerns | OneFootball

Manchester City could yet turn to the transfer market to handle their centre-back injury problems, but will not be recalling two more on-loan names.

Pep Guardiola was speaking ahead of Wednesday night’s Premier League meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion, as City attempt to reset following a frustrating 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium.

That result extended a difficult run defined by defensive disruption, with the title-chasers now forced to carefully manage resources during a demanding winter schedule. City’s injury situation worsened significantly against the Stamford Bridge outfit on Sunday as Josko Gvardiol was subjected to a lengthy spell on the sidelines owing to a tibial fracture, while Ruben Dias sustained a hamstring issue.

John Stones remains absent for the long-term and has struggled for consistency across the last two seasons, while Nathan Aké’s fitness continues to require close monitoring due to his apparent inability to play three times a week consistently.

The club have already acted by recalling Max Alleyne from his Championship loan at Watford – a move seen internally as both a reward for strong development minutes and a necessary reinforcement given the lack of senior options.

At the same time, City have also been linked with Crystal Palace and England international defender Marc Guéhi as a potential January addition, having already identified the player as a summer target.

Speaking to reporters ahead of City’s home Premier League clash against Brighton, Pep Guardiola also shut down the prospect of recalling either Manuel Akanji or Vitor Reis from their respective loans at Inter and Girona.

On the subject of the Brazilian youngster in particular, who is excelling in the Spanish top-flight, Guardiola admitted, “I don’t think so. He’s playing really good there and they need him there.”

But with concerns over Nathan Ake’s physical ability to feature three times a week for the best part of a month, Guardiola said, “We will be creative. We will see the transfer [market] and we will see creative. We’ll find some solutions.”

The Catalan coach continued, “It is what it is, we have to find the solution. Max [Alleyne] is coming back [from his loan at Watford] and we have alternatives, we thought about that.

“We’ll see game by game and we’ll see the market what happens for this exceptional situation that happened last season. But we have loan players as well. So we’ll see.”

Pep Guardiola’s comments point towards a flexible, short-term approach, balancing internal solutions with potential market opportunities rather than disrupting the development of key loanees mid-season.

With Brighton, the return of the FA Cup, Carabao Cup semi-finals, the UEFA Champions League, and further high-intensity Premier League fixtures ahead, City’s handling of this defensive crisis could prove decisive in shaping the remainder of their campaign.