Manchester City Fan View: Guardiola will resolve Stones' injury problem

Manchester City’s 2-0 victory at Leicester on Saturday saw Pep Guardiola’s men keep another clean sheet. The Blues’ defence, much maligned for most of last season, has seen a vast improvement this term and opponents are really struggling to break through City’s rearguard.

At the heart of that has been the imperious John Stones. The young Englishman represents City’s transformation perfectly. A player with bags of potential and with everything he needed for Guardiola to turn him into a world-class player, he spent last season showing flashes of brilliance but also making a few too many mistakes; unsure of himself and his teammates, he lacked composure at times.

Stones has been one of City’s best players during the current campaign. His ability to play the ball out from the back has seen him enjoy the best pass completion rate in Europe’s top five leagues. However, we often overlook the quality of his defending when we talk about him. He’s a fantastic centre-back and any observer would agree that City would be worse off without him.

Which brings us to Saturday’s match. Stones was forced off in the first half. Having toppled over while running, he instantly reached for the back of his leg. A collective sigh in the away end suggested that every wannabe physio there had instantly diagnosed a hamstring problem. Guardiola confirmed it after the game, stating that he expects the defender to be out for four-to-six weeks.

It’s a minor disaster for City. Stones – arguably the best defender in the Premier League this season – will miss a packed period of games that will likely take us past Christmas. That means he’ll miss matches against Manchester United and Tottenham; fixtures that will be pivotal if the Blues are to put an insurmountable lead between them and the chasing pack before 2018 comes in.

Disastrous though it is, there is little reason to fear what comes next. First of all, Vincent Kompany got his latest comeback up and running at the King Power Stadium and made it through 90 minutes. History tells us that he’ll get injured again at some point in the not too distant future, but as long as he stays fit then we need not worry about the loss of Stones.

Eliaquim Mangala replaced Stones following that injury and the Frenchman, who has largely been bumbling and incompetent in a City shirt, actually fared well. Nobody expects a Nicolas Otamendi-like transformation from untrustworthy to top performer, but maybe we need not worry. For all his faults, Mangala does offer composure on the ball and is comfortable playing it out. Given that playing from the back is City’s USP, and how well they dominate possession, he should offer an acceptable short-term fix.

Failing that, Guardiola’s not really short on options. He has a penchant for turning midfielders into defenders. Fabian Delph is an incredible example of this. Unable to force his way into the side in his natural midfield position, he’s instead become one of the most in-form full-backs in the division. His performance at Leicester was worthy of the man of the match award. Skinned once by Riyad Mahrez, Delph learned his lesson and bossed him for the rest of the day.

With that in mind, there’s no obvious reason why Fernandinho couldn’t drop back if needed. Or why Danilo couldn’t play there. He is, afterall, a natural and versatile defender by trade.

There is a risk of overthinking this. The reality is that between them, Kompany, Otamendi and Mangala should cope with the absence of Stones. Though losing an elite defender would weaken any side, City are well stocked to absorb the absence in the short term. This should not be the end of the record breaking 16-game winning streak. It’s just another minor adversity for the Blues to take in their stride.