"The ideal situation does not exist in football, especially over one long season"
Sunday 27 October 2019 22:42, UK
Pep Guardiola has admitted the absence of Aymeric Laporte could prove Manchester City's undoing this season but the City boss will not lament his stretched defensive resources.
The Premier League champions lost Oleksandr Zinchenko and Rodri, who had been covering at centre-back in recent matches, to injuries last week as they joined long-term injury absentee Laporte on the treatment table.
John Stones returned to action from injury earlier this month, but Fernandinho gave Guardiola another defensive blow when he was sent off late on in the 3-0 league win against Aston Villa on Saturday.
"I wish we had Laporte and everyone else come back," Guardiola said.
"I hate one word which is 'complain'. Normally when I say something not nice it is always after a victory, never have I said it after a defeat. We were punished in some defeats and I shut my mouth.
"I would prefer to be all together."
Fernandinho will only be unavailable for the Carabao Cup clash against Southampton on Tuesday but Guardiola is wary his squad will be pushed this season should his shortage of options in defence persist.
"We have Academy [players], other solutions," he added.
"When the spirit is correct, when you want to help you will always get through [the difficult moment].
"The problem is for the short time you can handle it, but for a long time I do not know.
"Of course, against top teams when you don't have the players who play in their own position I don't know what happens.
"But before it is going to happen I am not going to say 'it is a disaster'. The ideal situation does not exist in football, especially over one long season."
City face Southampton in back-to-back fixtures at the Etihad Stadium and Guardiola is conscious Ralph Hasenhuttl's side will target a response after their record-equalling 9-0 defeat by Leicester on Friday.
"The manager will be sad for one night but after that they have to move forward," Guardiola said.
"The players are professional, they are going to try and do their best. I am not going to judge Southampton or prepare for Southampton games based on a bad result against Leicester."
