Man City have a major headache - and Liverpool might have the answer

Manchester City are going through an unprecedented slump, extended by Tuesday night's incredible capitulation that saw Feyenoord roar back from three goals down to earn a Champions League point.

With Premier League leaders Liverpool next up, Pep Guardiola must find a solution to City's problems if the title race isn't to be over before the Christmas decorations go up. The Blues boss knows his side are fragile and defensively struggling and while injuries haven't helped the cause, there is more to it than that.

Nonetheless City have been without key players at various points this season and none are more crucial than Rodri. The midfielder suffered an ACL injury against Arsenal in September and will not play again this season, and City have yet to land on a suitable plan in the 28-year-old's absence.

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The truth is Rodri is now officially the world's best player and replacing the irreplaceable is impossible. The Spaniard has made the midfield pivot position his own and attempting to replicate what he offers is foolhardy.

Mateo Kovacic has attempted to fill the void in part but the Croatia international is now also injured meaning City are shorthanded. Ilkay Gundogan filled in against Tottenham but Guardiola acknowledged that the solution is not to field a player who makes intelligent attacking runs into the box as a defensive midfielder.

Gundogan has struggled since returning to the Etihad and is 34 while Kovacic is 30. Both are among the players Guardiola referenced when discussing the age of his squad and the number of 30+ players within it. The City chief doesn't see age as a barrier to inclusion but it's clear some forward planning is required.

City travel to Liverpool on Sunday in a blockbuster Premier League fixture and the Reds have already shown how to overhaul a midfield axis. Fabinho and Jordan Henderson were mainstays at Anfield but over the past few years both have moved on and Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and the continued progress of Academy prospect Curtis Jones has offered Liverpool a younger and more dynamic midfield.

It's something not lost on former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher. He spoke about City on Monday Night Football and used the Merseysiders as an example for City to follow.

"I did this same analysis two years ago on Jordan Henderson and Fabinho," he began. "What I’m talking about with Gundogan and Kovacic, this is not players out of form, this is not going to change. For Liverpool, the comparison was Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in those positions. They ended up moving on and Liverpool had to rebuild in midfield.

"That's what Manchester City are going to have to do. Whatever Pep thinks of, there is not enough legs in that midfield right now to change what we're seeing."

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