Manchester City were hit with a hammer blow after news emerged that last season’s player of the year Kevin De Bruyne will be sidelined with a serious knee injury.
How long the imperious Belgian playmaker is unavailable for manager Pep Guardiola has yet to be determined, but according to reports his absence could extend to up to three months. It goes without saying not having De Bruyne around does somewhat weaken City, not as greatly their rivals would hope perhaps, but there are certain traits De Bruyne possesses no one else in the side can replicate.
The 26-year-old played an instrumental role in central midfield as City secured an empathic championship last season. An ever-present, having only missed one league match, De Bruyne finished the 2017/18 campaign as the Premier League’s assist king by set up 16 goals across 37 matches.
He was also the league’s most productive creator, producing no fewer than 106 chances for his teammates, with Spurs playmaker Christian Eriksen (96) and Cesc Fabregas of Chelsea (91) trailing. If not for the excellent Mohamed Salah, who bagged 32 goals across 36 top-flight matches for Liverpool in his debut season, De Bruyne would be the reigning PFA Players’ Player of the Year.
Guardiola is renowned for his exemplary problem-solving ability and tactical acumen and will no doubt relish the situation in which he finds himself. Replacing a player he once stated is a level below Lionel Messi with a like-for-like stand-in can already be ruled out. Instead, the illustrious Spanish coach must make a few tweaks here and there, finding new roles for those in his squad to compensate for De Bruyne’s absence.
And one cannot understate important De Bruyne is to City and their quest to become a force at home and abroad. Fortunately, his training ground injury has come so early into the season and the English champions’ upcoming Premier League outings are against favourable opponents.
So, with that said, we have come up with three ways Guardiola could line up his charges.
1. Foden or Silva to step up in 4-3-3
Since taking over at the Etihad, we’ve seen Guardiola use no fewer than six different formations, 4-3-3 being one of the most common.
It’s a system he knows like the back of his hand, given it brought him great success with his boyhood Barcelona during their era of unprecedented success under his tutelage.
Across much of last season, De Bruyne and company would find themselves playing in this set-up. Guardiola would normally field the Belgian alongside David Silva with Fernandinho anchoring the midfield.
One man’s misfortune is another man’s gain. De Bruyne’s absence opens the door for Bernardo Silva, who is enjoying an incredible start, to play alongside his namesake with both operating as number 8s behind an electric front-three consisting of Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane.
There are, of course, alternatives. Going back to the theme of opportunities, maybe this is when the exciting Phil Foden starts to establish himself. The 18-year-old midfielder has remained with Guardiola despite reports of being sent out on loan and this decision could have been taken precisely with moments such as this in mind.
The chances are Guardiola will opt for experience over exuberance, but Foden remains an option and the same goes for big summer signing Riyad Mahrez, who no doubt is keeping the likes of Sterling and Sane on their feet.
2. Back to the 3-5-2
During pre-season, Guardiola spoke about City reverting to a 3-5-2. After all, it was how they began their celebrated 2017/18 campaign.
The injury to wing-back Benjamin Mendy changed everything last term, but he has since returned and it should not be long before we see the champions regularly line up in this formation.
Given how the midfield is paramount to Guardiola’s thinking, the central area of his formation needs to be robust as well as energetic.
Kevin De Bruyne for Man City in the Premier League in 2017/18:
Most chances created (106)
Huge miss. https://t.co/PiJ5M7WXjm
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 17, 2018
De Bruyne would have contributed this along with the aforementioned Fernandinho and David Silva. But in his absence, enter Ilkay Gundogan – another who has been plagued with injuries, but nonetheless remains highly thought of by his manager.
Again there are others who can fill in, but a composition of the trio above gives Guardiola everything he wants, particularly their individual ability to retain and recycle possession.
Ahead if them needs to be raw pace; in this system’s last two outings, Guardiola opted for Gabriel Jesus and Sterling. Both have the ability to stretch play as well as get behind the opposition backline. Aguero, though, remains an option, as well as Mahrez and Sane.
Kyle Walker and Mendy, as you would expect, will provide much of the width in their roles as auxiliary wingers, but who could feature in the back-three? Nicolas Otamendi, on the back off an exemplary campaign, and Aymeric Laporte look certainties with one of Vincent Kompany and John Stones completing the triumvirate.
3. The magic square (4-2-2-2)
Guardiola might be a fundamentalist in the way he wants his team to play, but he is never been snobbish regarding how they are set up.
The 4-4-2 system, for example, is looked down upon by those who classify themselves as disciples of Johan Cruyff (which the City boss most certainly is). That’s because the system doesn’t lend itself well to the creation of passing triangles.
Sure, it’s not one of Guardiola’s personal favourites, but the pragmatic in him does recognise its usefulness. To date, he’s played two variations of the English classic: a diamond version and one more reminiscent of France in the 1980s.
And it’s the latter, or ‘magic square’, which has the potential to be unleashed. City have the players to make it work. Picture the duo of Sterling and David Silva performing as the deep-lying forwards and primarily operating in the half-space. The width is subsequently provided by Walker and Mendy while Fernandinho and Fabian Delph cover.
Up front, there is the striking duo of master (Aguero) and apprentice (Jesus). To date, the pair have featured together in 26 matches; they would combine to score five goals between themselves, while Aguero would assist Jesus four times; Jesus has returned the favour once.
Plus, as previously stressed, City’s abundance of talent means there are options for Guardiola. As much as he will miss the unique talents of De Bruyne, there’s no reason to panic. If anything his absence reaffirms why so many are tipping City for championship glory as well as going deep in the Champions League.
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