Josko Gvardiol can help force Pep Guardiola into unthinkable Man City call

It is hard to think of Manchester City's best XI without including John Stones and Ruben Dias.

The pair were inseparable when Dias first arrived at the club in 2020 and then formed the bedrock of the team that won the Treble last season. Once both were back from injury, they started 12 out of 14 Premier League and Champions League games in the period up to winning the league, and were then reunited for the FA Cup and Champions League final.

Istanbul may well end up being Stones's finest hour as he excelled in his hybrid role while few of his teammates were living up to their own standards, and Dias was no less important with his reaction header away from goal when the ball bounced off Ederson's shin from Romelu Lukaku's header. And the partnership has continued to be used, notably in both Manchester derbies this season and the Champions League quarter-final away to Real Madrid.

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Stones injured himself in that game though, and Dias has also had his share of issues. The Madrid game was not only the last they started together but one of just two in the last 13 and eight of the 32-game unbeaten run that City have enjoyed in all competitions since losing to Aston Villa back in December.

If the feeling remains that Stones and Dias both make the team better, they were spectators on Saturday as Manu Akanji and Nathan Ake bossed another game in the middle. To their left, Josko Gvardiol continued his strong form and was praised effusively by Pep Guardiola afterwards.

"There was a period that was so uncertain, he was not really, really good," his manager started. "I said