Ferna’s all set to bolster injury-hit City defence
PEP Guardiola is set to play Fernandinho at centre-back at Wolves tonight after reporting there is no change to City’s injury situation from the weekend.
The 37-year-old Brazil international had to step in for the second half of the 5-0 win over Newcastle at the weekend after Ruben Dias was forced off with a hamstring injury.
And he is set to resume the role alongside Aymeric Laporte as the Blues look to close in on the title.
Nathan Ake was on the subs’ bench at the weekend but Guardiola later revealed he has been suffering with a longstanding ankle problem which meant he could not step in for Dias.
Dias is out for the rest of the season, along with John Stones and right-back Kyle Walker, with Guardiola saying he only has three fit senior defenders left: Joao Cancelo, Laporte and Oleks Zinchenko.
He said on Sunday he was hopeful Ake may be available for the trip to West Ham on Sunday.
The manager confirmed that was still the situation, saying: “Nothing changed after the game against Newcastle, we are who we are and we are going into the last three games with players we have and we go for it. The other players are going to solve it, go for it.”
Wolves geared up for the visit of City by storming back from 2-0 down to grab a draw at Chelsea, but Guardiola said that result did not change his view of the Black Country outfit, saying: “Always they have been one of the toughest opponents we face for many reasons – Neto, Jimenez, Dendoncker – the personality, the competitive players they are, the back five, many years in that system, one of the toughest away games we have.”