Man City might have two emergency defenders amid Pep Guardola left-back headache

The next three weeks could be the most important of Manchester City's season, with just 21 days remaining until the transfer window closes.

City's summer started impeccably, having signed Julian Alvarez in January and wrapping up Erling Haaland's transfer before the window opened. Kalvin Phillips followed soon after, and despite the departures of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, the balance of the squad looked to be as strong as it was last season.

However, Aleks Zinchenko was allowed to leave for Arsenal, exposing a shortage of full-backs that has seen Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo left as the only senior options in their positions at present. City want at least one new left-back — although time is of the essence, and this is a club who won't enter the market for a player who isn't a good fit.

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If that player isn't found, Pep Guardiola has insisted he will be happy with his options, citing Nathan Ake and Josh Wilson-Esbrand as options, while John Stones or Rico Lewis could feature on the right to help Walker. Aymeric Laporte has also been used sparingly on the left if required, too.

A natural left-back would be preferred should Cancelo not play, yet the last two players to cover in that position — Zinchenko and Fabian Delph — have not been natural defenders and ended up thriving there. If Guardiola needs to, he may have to drop another midfielder back into defence, with two candidates more obvious than others.

First is new signing Phillips, whose first minutes as a City player in Houston were as a makeshift centre-back. He has played in defence before, and would offer similarities to Delph as a holding midfielder being relocated for