This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Manchester City have been dealt another potentially disastrous blow as Rodri came off injured in the club’s win over Atalanta on Tuesday.
On the chalkboard
The Liverpool Echo have reported that Rodri’s injury could force the Spaniard out of the clash against fellow title rivals Liverpool, which is due to take place at Anfield on November 10.
Rodri was seen clutching his leg against Atalanta and his absence is only going to add further defensive concerns to the Pep Guardiola, with Aymeric Laporte’s injury already leaving him short of his most integral defensive asset.
Laporte will miss the rest of 2019 with a knee problem and his absence has already been felt with City losing to Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers without him in the side.
These results have put Guardiola’s side in second behind Liverpool, and a win in the Goliath clash next month could put significant daylight between the two title contenders after just 13 games.
Indeed, Rodri put in a magnificent display in a makeshift defence for City against Crystal Palace and could be missed in the team.
Gundogan in holding role; Fernandinho at centre back
Ilkay Gundogan has not been an ever-present in City’s starting XI this season, starting six times out of the nine so far in the league.
However, the German has looked increasingly comfortable in a holding midfield role, impressing in the absence of Fernandinho towards the end of last season. He also bagged six goals and three assists in the 2018/19 campaign, averaging a 7.14 rating, per Whoscored.
As a result, Gundogan’s place in the midfield anchor role could be cemented in light of Rodri’s injury setback, with Fernandinho continuing to deputise at centre-back alongside John Stones.
Perhaps the natural option would be to start Nicolas Otamendi, who cost the club £32m, alongside John Stones, who cost a whopping £47.5m in 2016, in central defence, but that particular pairing are far from trusted by Guardiola.
In the time between Aymeric Laporte joining the club and September 12th 2019, Man City played 56 Premier League games. Pertinently, Stones and Otamendi started in a back four together in just three of those fixtures, per BBC Sport. If ever there was a statistic that laid bare the lack of confidence Guardiola has in this particular combination of central defenders then this was it.
With this acute acknowledgement in mind, it’s fair to assume that the internationally revered manager will continue to seek alternative options, forcing Fernandinho to continue in a central defensive role that he is becoming increasingly accustomed to.
Gundogan, for now at least, looks set to continue in the role that Fernandinho made his own in the Premier League in recent years, while the Brazilian may have to continue to adapt to his new surroundings in central defence.
