Even for Pep Guardiola, who can find solutions to the most complex of issues, he can't play seven defenders every week when there are only four spots in his Manchester City XI. Rotation has often been the way forward for that particular dilemma. Guardiola likes a small squad but also different options for different systems.
It's rare he moves forward with one centre-back pairing, for example. Not at this stage of the season at least. A couple of seasons ago, John Stones and Ruben Dias were undroppable to the point where Aymeric Laporte felt he had to leave City .
Then Nathan Ake and Manu Akanji stepped up and it was Kyle Walker out of the side and Stones moved forward into midfield. This season, it's Akanji and Dias who appear the go-to centre-back pairing. ALSO READ: Man City have a new secret superstar - they won't be able to keep him hidden for much longer ALSO READ: I loved my time at Man City despite Pep weight comments - but it was draining and I had to get out Ake's injury and Stones' late arrival have given those two a run of starts, and they have been the pairing from the start for seven of City's nine games so far this season.
The exceptions were Watford and Slovan Bratislava. Rico Lewis has locked down right-back (and holding midfield, and attacking midfield) with a fine start to the campaign, while Gvardiol is the only player to have featured in every game so far this term for City. Akanji has started every Premier League game so far plus the Community Shield.
Dia.
