Guardiola To Replace Injured Laporte With Fernandinho And Walker 

Laporte, who earned a national call-up for the France national team after being left out of the squad for quite a long time got injured when City defeated Brighton 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. 

The former Bilbao player's injury saw Guardiola’s side left with only one senior team centre-back of Nicolas Otamendi. 

Talking of a replacement for Laporte, Guardiola hinted of filling the left void with Fernandinho and Walker as he insisted England centre-half John Stones will be ready for selection after the international break.

“The club works incredibly well in all departments and sometimes we cannot afford it like other teams afford it and that is all," Guardiola told reporters.

"We pay a lot of money for a lot of players, that is why we have a depth of squad with huge quality but we cannot do... the club tell me, 'You have a limit, you cannot go forward. 

“Maybe in the future but not now, you cannot do it.' I say, 'Okay, you cannot do it so we cannot do it, so we are going with what we have'.

"But we don't expect Leroy out for a long time and now Laporte, maybe, we wait but doesn’t look good, But it is what it is.

"During the season it happens and the other guys are going to make a step forward and one day we need to put Kyle Walker like a central defender, he is going to play central defender, so we are going to find solutions.

"I am sad for Leroy, I am sad for Laporte today, that is what I am concerned [about] - but we are going to move forward."