Otamendi: ‘We’ll cope with Stones injury blow’
NICOLAS Otamendi says City can cope without John Stones.
The England defender suffered a hamstring injury in last weekend’s win over Leicester and faces at least a month on the sidlelines.
The blow came just as the Yorkshireman had been enjoying his best run of form since joining the club from Everton last year.
But Otamendi believes City – who kept a clean sheet in the win Champions League win over Feyenoord on Tuesday without Stones – will deal with the situation.
Vincent Kompany is set to return for Sunday’s clash with Huddersfield and Eliaquim Mangala held his own with no problem against the Dutch.
Manager Pep Guardiola recently alluded to the fact that Danilo, Kyle Walker, Fernandinho and youngster Tosin Adarabioyo can also play at centre-back and Otamendi told the City website: “John’s injury is a shame, but that’s something that usually happens.
“Luckily, we got Vincent back. He played 90 minutes the other day. That’s important.
“There’s also Mangala, and me.
“We always try to be there for the manager and work hard to help the team”.
Otamendi, meanwhile, added his voice to the chorus of approval following Phil Foden’s debut and Brahim Diaz’s appearance against Feyenoord.
The youngsters were late substitutes at the Etihad on Tuesday and Otamendi added: “If they’ve got here it’s because they’ve earned it.
“They work during the week in order to get a chance from the manager.
“If they keep being humble and working hard, they’ll get more chances.
“We’ll support them so they feel comfortable”. CITY have no worries over keeping star prospect Phil Foden because he ‘wants to be a club legend.’
The 17-year-old made headlines in recent weeks after starring as England beat all comers to win the Under-17 World Cup in India.
Pep Guardiola was lost for words after watching the teenager in a summer friendly with United, and handed him a professional debut in the 1-0 win over Feyenoord in the Champions League.
City lost one of their academy poster boys in the summer when Jadon Sancho turned down a professional contract to move to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.
With Sancho one of a number of young players to have gone abroad to attain first-team football sooner, City have to work harder to keep the talent they have in their academy.
They have no fears about losing Foden though, who is currently tied to the club until 2020.
“With our best players, we have to be at the table to look after them,” said academy director Jason Wilcox.
“We’re never going to move away from the fact that when they get to a certain age, finance becomes important. But if I’m honest, it’s not really that important to Phil. He wants to be a Man City legend.
“He’s not thinking about being a millionaire. He wants to play. If I let him, he’d still be a ballboy.
“He’s a Man City supporter and when he breaks through, the whole of the academy, the whole of Manchester City are going to love it.
“He’s City through and through.”
Despite his clear promise being recognised in a debut at 17, Foden will have to wait for his time to shine at his boyhood club.
A forward line that includes David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan means competition for places is fierce, as evidenced by the selection against Shakhtar. However, Wilcox – who coached Foden from Under13 through to Under-18 – firmly believes that the best players are not bothered by the stars in front of them “We never have any trouble with Phil, he just gets on because he wants to play,” he said. “That’s really important. If we have players that come in to our academy for any other reason then they won’t progress because every time they have a little bump in the road they will want to jump ship and to become a professional footballer you have to take the rough with the smooth. “It’s part and parcel of being at an elite football club that you’re going to have to compete with top players but I always say the best players in the academy don’t worry about the pathway, that the manager can go and spend £50m on a player because they believe that they are good enough to be in that arena. “If they are good enough, they’ll be there.” Jason Wilcox on Phil Foden