Dressing room cracks, Rodri reality, Viana influence - the Man City transfer question with no answer

From the outside, the solution to Manchester City's problems is clear: open the chequebook.

If they cannot function without Rodri, then go to the transfer market in January and buy a defensive midfielder to shore up the middle and start winning again.

Everything that is going wrong for City at present stems back to Rodri. The need for two holding midfielders rather than one, the forward player sacrificed as a result, or the disruption in defence when one or two can't push into midfield as freely.

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But City will stand by their decision not to sign a back-up while letting Kalvin Phillips leave on loan. Phillips never clicked at City and it's a hard sell to ask someone to sign but barely play. Mateo Kovacic has done a job in difficult circumstances and the returning Ilkay Gundogan has played at number six before. There are solutions, even if they aren't perfect.

Add an injury crisis stretching into the double figures, though, and each of those small issues multiply to cause a very big one and City have forgotten how to win. They can't defend, teams are getting through them too easily where Rodri would usually be, and there are less options in attack to outscore opposition sides.

As a result the title defence is in tatters, the bid to finish in the top eight of the Champions League is seriously at risk, and they are out of the Carabao Cup.

Ruben Dias is backing his players to protect their legacy but is snapping at reporters, Kyle Walker is writing apologies on social media amid some fan unrest at his captaincy, and even Erling Haaland is posting rallying cries to supporters. Meanwhile, players are arguing on the pitch and the form is getting to this group of relentless winners.

So they have to get reinforcements in January, right?

Well Pep Guardiola has strongly suggested next month will be a typically quiet one at the Etihad. He expects most of his injured players to be back fit in the new year. On that basis, Guardiola says there is no room for new signings, even with Rodri still out.

The January window is complicated further by the impending change in Sporting Director, with Txiki Begiristain stepping down and Hugo Viana replacing him. Viana will officially take over in the summer, with some crossover before that - so is it wise to make any major changes to the squad before Viana comes in with his own ideas?

Any spending will also impact the summer budget, and City rarely enter the winter market because they don't believe it represents the best value.

So City must decide if the need to strengthen their battered squad in the middle of the season is greater than any knock-on effect in the summer when Viana arrives.

For a club who pride themselves on long-term planning, and resist the temptation to overspend or act irrationally, the next two months will be a test of resolve.