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Pep Guardiola is grappling with a midfield conundrum for Manchester City\u2019s visit to an Arsenal side he believes have established themselves among the Premier League elite once again.<\/p>\n
While Guardiola issued a positive update over the injured Kevin de Bruyne, the Belgian will be missing for Sunday\u2019s clash while midfield general Rodri serves the last game of a three-match domestic ban.<\/p>\n
Kalvin Phillips and Mateo Kovacic have been deployed in the holding role in the Spaniard\u2019s absence although City lost on both occasions \u2013 at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and at Wolves in the league.<\/p>\n
Guardiola lamented how difficult Rodri is to replace and will decide closer to kick-off how best to plug the gap in a fixture many observers view as significant in the title race.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Rodri is) maybe the best or in the top two or three best holding midfielders in the world,\u201d Guardiola said. \u201cHe\u2019s not here and we\u2019ll have to find a solution with our players and how we want to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have an absence as important as him you have to have a solution. I am not going to deny how important Rodri is, like how Kevin is, but when they are not here we cannot start to cry.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is not here, we will find solutions and decide how we are going to press and play.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe moment in my mind when a player is not there, he is completely out and I don\u2019t think about it. He is not there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Defeat at the Emirates Stadium would be the first time City have been beaten in successive league games since December 2018 \u2013 and Guardiola is wary of an Arsenal team managed by former protege Mikel Arteta.<\/p>\n
Arteta, a former assistant of Guardiola\u2019s at the Etihad Stadium, has led Arsenal out of the doldrums. The north London club endured a few years out of the top four but they were the closest challengers last season to City, finishing just five points adrift of Guardiola\u2019s all-conquering treble winners.<\/p>\n
The Gunners are now hot on the heels of current league leaders City and represent a stern test for a side bidding to bounce back from last weekend\u2019s surprise 2-1 defeat at Molineux.<\/p>\n
\u201cArsenal is back to where they were when they fought with Sir Alex (Ferguson\u2019s Manchester United) team,\u201d Guardiola said. \u201cWhen I arrive here they were not there and now they are back.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the calendar you see when you have to go to the Emirates Stadium. The recruitment they have done is exceptional, with (Declan) Rice and (Kai) Havertz.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely (they are City\u2019s main title rivals), along with Liverpool from what we\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guardiola confirmed John Stones is unavailable for selection this weekend \u2013 despite the centre-half being named in England\u2019s squad for matches against Australia and Italy later this month.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, he\u2019s not ready to play,\u201d Guardiola said. \u201cMaybe for the national team, but not us.\u201d<\/p>\n
De Bruyne is another absentee, with the 32-year-old sidelined since the opening game of the season in August after undergoing hamstring surgery that was expected to keep him out for up to four months.<\/p>\n
While he is still a way off a first-team return, Guardiola is optimistic of having De Bruyne back sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n
\u201cKevin comes in at different times, either before training or for his treatment,\u201d Guardiola said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter training he sees physios and so on. Of course I see him every day and he\u2019s getting better, and his mood is good. Hopefully sooner than expected he will be back.\u201d<\/p>\n