Guehi to make Man City debut against Wolves in boost to injury-hit back line

MANCHESTER, England, Jan 23 : Manchester City will hand their new defender Marc Guehi his debut when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday, Pep Guardiola said on Friday, with his team in need of a lift after almost a month without a league win.

Guardiola's second-placed side are seven points adrift of Arsenal and have not won in the Premier League since a 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest on December 27, prompting the club to move quickly to reinforce their injury-hit defence.

City signed England centre back Guehi from Crystal Palace on a five-and-a-half-year contract on Monday, as they look to close the gap on Arsenal in the title race.

"Yes, yes," Guardiola told reporters when asked if Guehi will make his City debut at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. "Really good (signing) considering he is a central defender. Really good."

City have suffered some shocking recent results, including a 2-0 derby loss at Manchester United and a 3-1 Champions League thrashing away to Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday, after which Guardiola spoke about his team's "fragile" confidence.

Asked if Guehi can help steady City, the manager said: "He is a player for the national team and was a captain last season. I have a feeling yes, but the fragility is not just about one player. I know the solution and it's not about one player.

"We cannot lose games. Man City is so perfect that we cannot lose games. It is what it is. We have to change the dynamic to try to win games tomorrow and Wednesday (at home to Galatasaray in the Champions League)."

However, Guardiola played down concerns over his squad's mentality and quality.

"I have an extraordinary team and an extraordinary group of players," he said. "We are a fantastic football team, I