Guardiola juggles defensive resources, backs Fernandinho

Pep Guardiola played down concerns over 34-year-old Fernandinho’s ability to cope with a high workload as he juggles his stretched defensive resources for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb.

City are missing John Stones and Aymeric Laporte and the manager was forced to field the makeshift pairing of Nicolas Otamendi and midfielder Fernandinho in central defence against Everton on Saturday.

The Premier League champions had some shaky moments defensively at Goodison Park but emerged 3-1 winners to keep the gap to Liverpool at five points.

“If he is fit he can play (twice a week),” Guardiola said on Monday about Fernandinho. “It depends on him in terms of physical regeneration.”

“When Stones is back we will have an alternative,” he added.

“Last season he started to struggle towards the end of the season. The previous season, he played every three days.” Midfielder Rodri said the spate of defensive injuries was not an “excuse” for City, who won their Champions League opener 3-0 away to Shakhtar Donetsk.

“We have enough players to fit this problem,” he said. “We have players who can play in many positions like Fernandinho and (Oleksandr) Zinchenko. It’s a tough time for the team but it will make us stronger.” Guardiola also had warm words for Riyad Mahrez, who impressed in the 3-1 win against Everton and has been directly involved in 17 goals in his past 17 starts for City in all competitions.

“He’s been so decisive, clinical. Defensively his commitment is higher this season and offensively every time he has the ball you have a feeling he is going to create something,” said the City boss.

“Hopefully he can maintain that level for a long time.” Guardiola also believes his side need to make their supporters, who have had a love-hate relationship with UEFA competitions, excited by the Champions League, which they have never won.

“We have to seduce them. The only way to seduce them is winning games and playing good,” he said.

“The Premier League here in England is the most exciting. We make a poll and fans prefer that. But this competition is also good.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino said he was “so happy” with his squad as they prepare to face Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday after a turbulent few weeks.

Spurs have struggled to find consistency this season after an unsettling summer transfer window during which key players including Christian Eriksen were linked to moves that never materialised.

Last week’s League Cup exit against fourth-tier Colchester was a low point and Pochettino blamed that setback on “different agendas in the squad”.

But their 2-1 victory against Southampton on Saturday lifted them to fifth in the Premier League table and helped calm nerves.

Spurs let slip a 2-0 lead in their Champions League opener against Olympiakos to draw 2-2 but Pochettino pointed out that last season the club had just a single point after three games and still reached the final, where they lost to Liverpool.

“I am so happy with the squad and we’re in a position where everything is possible,” the Spurs boss told his pre-match press conference on Monday.

“We need to be calm and be strong in our mentality. The most important thing is the belief and spirit.” Defender Jan Vertonghen, who has been linked with a move away from the Spurs, played down rumours of dressing room unrest.

“I am not going too much into that, the mood at this point is good,” he said. “It was a good win on Saturday. We showed who we really are.” Vertonghen refused to be drawn on his contract negotiations, adding: “I would prefer not to go too deep into that (contract situation) but there is always some movement.”

Agencies