Guardiola has trust in young defensive options
SHOWS: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SAYING:
"We don't have many other options. We have many other options with Rodri can play there and of course two young players like we trust a lot because we... Especially Eric (Garcia) is training, last season and other season with us and Taylor Bellis (Taylor Harwood-Bellis) was in the pre-season and we were really impressed about how he has done. So, we are going to count on them. So, it's not a problem it's a challenge. So, I don't take these situation like a problem. It's what it is."
STORY: Manchester City could turn to teenage defenders Eric Garcia and Taylor Harwood-Bellis to fill in at centre back with two of their senior defenders sidelined with long-term injuries, manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday (September 20).
John Stones is out for five weeks due to a muscle injury and Aymeric Laporte is recovering from knee surgery, leaving Nicolas Otamendi as Guardiola's only available first-team centre back.
One of Garcia (18) or Harwood-Bellis (17) could make their Premier League debut if midfielder Fernandinho, who was deployed as a makeshift central defender in Wednesday's (September 18) 3-0 Champions League win at Shakhtar Donetsk, does not start in the back line.
