Defining week for City

> Can Gundogan hold the fort with Fernandinho out?

CAN ILKAY GUNDOGAN defend? That is the question that will define Manchester City’s week.

Pep Guardiola’s side have two huge Premier League games coming up, Arsenal away tomorrow and Chelsea at home on Sunday.

Two games that they have to face without Fernandinho, their holding midfielder and one of City’s least dispensable players.

Fernandinho has started 36 of City’s 42 matches so far this season – the most, along with Kevin de Bruyne – because he is the only man Guardiola truly trusts in that role in front of the back four.

The only other player who has his mix of intelligence, athleticism, technique and versatility is De Bruyne, and he has an important job to do further up the pitch. UEFA

But Fernandinho limped off in the second half of Sunday’s League Cup final win over Arsenal at Wembley with a hamstring injury.

When he went off Guardiola got Gundogan and De Bruyne to help out in deep midfield, and by that point City had enough control of the game that ultimately it did not matter.

Even with Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil, Arsenal could not hurt City in that area.

Tomorrow might be different, though, when Arsenal have Henrikh Mkhitaryan too and have the benefit of home advantage.

If City play their usual attacking game, dominating possession and defending high up the pitch, then they will need someone in front of the centrebacks to protect against the counter-attack. And without Fernandinho, that will put serious International Football Association Board set to confirm that decision on March 3.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently said he was “confident and positive” about VAR being introduced.

“I am not at all against it, but it needs to be better explained... We will see at the World Cup,” added Ceferin.

“It could be a good project, useful for football, but we must not rush to take such decisions.”

VAR can only be used for four gamechanging situations: after a goal, penalty decisions, after a straight red card or in cases of mistaken identity. – AFP