This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Manchester City will take on Southampton twice this week, with the first battle coming in the EFL Cup before they clash again at the Etihad in the league at the weekend.
As Pep Guardiola faces off with the Saints twice within five days, he may use this as a chance to test out some new partnerships and allow some youngsters to flourish, and one of these pairings should be John Stones and Eric Garcia.
The two centre-backs have played together just once in the 4-2 victory over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup last season. Now, with Rodri and Laporte injured, it is a great chance to allow them to play together once again and build another centre-back duo for City.
As Nicolas Otamendi has lost his starting place due to a combination of injuries and poor form, Guardiola may be tempted to start the Argentine to help rebuild his confidence.
However, the 31-year-old has been a liability at the back this season and he was the main culprit in City’s loss to Norwich City a few weeks back. His awful error led to Teemu Pukki’s goal, and this result is one of the reasons why the club trail Liverpool by six points right now.
It is important to note that Aymeric Laporte is still around and is only 25 years old. The most likely partnership for Guardiola in the future will be the Frenchman and Stones, with the Englishman also still just 25. However, with Laporte unavailable right now, this is the perfect chance for the manager to take a look into the future with Garcia and Stones at the back.
With defensive injuries a recurring problem for City, the former Barcelona boss needs to start building partnerships elsewhere and not just with Stones and Laporte.
Garcia is just 18 and will surely be a future star at the Etihad as he has already captained City’s youth sides.
Alongside Stones, Guardiola may have another formidable pairing in the making to use as an alternative in Laporte’s absence.
