Guardiola relishing defensive woes ‘challenge’

PEP Guardiola claims he will relish the challenge of coping with adversity after an injury to John Stones added to Manchester City’s defensive woes.

The Premier League champions have just one fit senior centreback after England international Stones suffered a thigh injury in training ahead of City’s Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk in Kharkiv this evening.

Stones joins Aymeric Laporte, who is out until the new year, on the sidelines and, after the departure of Vincent Kompany last summer, City are now short of cover in the position.

Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho is now likely to be pressed into action as an emergency centre-half as City take on the Ukrainian champions in their Group C opener.

And with Stones potentially out for up to six weeks, this is a scenario City may have to get used to.

City boss Guardiola said: “It’s a big challenge. For me as a manager, it is an incredible challenge.

“We’ve got just one central defender in Nico, but I believe a lot spirit and commitment.

“We have to get 11 players out and on the pitch and make an extra effort. I like it, (the chance) to prove myself and show we are able to find a solution for the team, to make an incredible step forward and find a solution to this problem.

“It’s not a problem, challenge.

“They will do it, no problem. “Football is not how you handle the good situations, it is how you handle the bad ones.”

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