I saw Pep Guardiola realise he has a ready-made solution for Man City's injury crisis

All of a sudden Manchester City have a serious injury crisis.

Their Ballon d'Or favourite is out for the season, and now the captain and vice-captain are not available. On Wednesday, £155m of attacking talent joined them on the injury list and City could only name four senior outfield options on the bench.

But this City squad is built on players taking their chances. In most cases, places are earned on form and it's not uncommon for senior players returning from injury to see their places occupied. Look at Kyle Walker this season amid Rico Lewis' form.

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Now it is the turn of Matheus Nunes to take that chance. He's had plenty of opportunities in his 13 months at City but is yet to truly take one. He can have no excuse now, with Kevin De Bruyne given extra time to return, Jack Grealish out for a week and Jeremy Doku out for longer.

Nunes is not the Rodri replacement City need, and if De Bruyne is fit he isn't a patch on the Belgian. Guardiola has, however, compared him to De Bruyne and there is suddenly a vacancy in midfield that needs filling - especially if Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva are needed out wide a little more with Doku and Grealish out.

Surprisingly it was Nunes who got the nod on the left against Sparta Prague, Bernardo and Foden playing central. He has looked okay in his brief selections on the wing but that in itself sums up his predicament at City: he doesn't have a 'best' position. He's back-up in defensive midfield, at number eight and out wide.

Nunes came into this game on the back of a point-proving cameo at