This may not be a key absence for Manchester City, but it will give Pep Guardiola a bit of a headache prior to the start of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Prior to the team's trip to Spain, the club has confirmed the absence of Nathan Aké, who will have to sit this match out due to an untimely injury picked up in Manchester City's clash against Leeds United. This will represent an issue for Pep Guardiola due to his recent five-men tactics, which included three men as center backs.
Guardiola's options may be limited at this point, as the coach's new tactics were improvised during the season. Now, the Spanish coach could opt to go back to a four-man defense to face Real Madrid, since their squad only includes Aymeric Laporte (who has not featured frequently this season), and Sergio Gómez, who has only been handed nineteen matches this season.
As things stand, experts in England suggest that Kyle Walker could be given a shot at right-back, with Manuel Akanji taking the spot on the left flank. Either way, it will be a tricky ordeal to solve for Guardiola, who had seemingly found a system that works properly for the club in search for their first UEFA Champions League title.
