Manuel Akanji injury: Four possible right-back solutions for Man City as Pep Guardiola confirms significant blow

Just when it looked like the Citizens' injury issues were beginning to ease, Manuel Akanji and Jack Grealish were both forced off with muscle problems in the painful 3-2 home defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League playoff tie.

While Grealish's issue is not a serious one, Guardiola has confirmed that Akanji, who started at right-back against Los Blancos, will undergo surgery on an adductor injury and is facing eight to 10 weeks on the sidelines.

It is the latest in a series of defensive injury problems Man City have had to deal with this season, with Nathan Ake, John Stones and Ruben Dias having all just returned from their own spells in the treatment room.

The lengthy absence of Akanji leaves Man City light in the right-back department, while Kyle Walker's decision to hand in a transfer request and join AC Milan on loan midway through the season has also not helped their cause.

Guardiola and co are now facing a testing run of fixtures over the next few months in multiple competitions and the right side of defence is one key area that needs to be addressed quickly.

Indeed, incoming sporting director Hugo Viana will have likely identified the right-back position as a primary area to strengthen in the summer, but in the meantime, Sports Mole takes a look at four players who could be called upon to play regularly on the right in the coming weeks and months.

Rico Lewis

Rico Lewis is the only natural right-back option in Guardiola's first-team squad, making him arguably the most obvious candidate to play regularly on the right side of Man City's defence.

The 20-year-old academy graduate started the campaign in fine form and was nominated for City's Player of the Month for August, subsequently keeping Walker out of the starting lineup on a regular basis.

However, Lewis has struggled to rediscover his best form for the Citizens since being sent off in a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace at the beginning of December, and he has recently been overlooked by Guardiola in a number of important games.

Lewis is rated highly by Guardiola, but the England international struggled to cope with the explosive pace of both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior when replacing Akanji in the second half against Real Madrid, and it remains to be seen whether City's Catalan coach will trust the right-back during their challenging run of fixtures against the likes of Newcastle's Anthony Gordon, Liverpool's Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, Spurs' Son Heung-min and Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma.

Matheus Nunes

Lewis has been kept out of Man City's starting lineup on seven occasions in 2025 as Guardiola has preferred to use midfielder Matheus Nunes as a makeshift right-back in recent weeks.

Having tried and failed to nail down a regular starting spot in midfield, Nunes has worked hard to impress Guardiola in an unfamiliar right-back position, but many Citizens supporters are in agreement that the Portuguese has struggled, on the whole, to adapt to his new defensive role and has made a number of costly errors.

Guardiola has publicly expressed how Nunes's physicality and speed has been "important" against opponents with pace, and the fact that he is a midfielder by trade makes him competent on the ball.

Nunes has not always looked so assured in possession, though, and the fact that he lacks that defensive nous that Akanji and Lewis, arguably, have could prove problematic when facing intelligent wingers in the near future.

If Nunes is to be Guardiola's go-to man at right-back, Man City supporters would also like to see him improve his crossing ability; many of his deliveries have been wayward, while there have been countless times where he has opted to cut inside rather than whip crosses into the danger zone for Erling Haaland and co.

Abdukodir Khusanov

Could January signing Abdukodir Khusanov fill the void at right-back? The 20-year-old has recently been the subject of social media clamour from some Man City supporters to be selected at right-back ahead of both Lewis and Nunes.

The centre-back joined the Citizens from Lens for a reported £33.5m and endured a Premier League debut to forget against Chelsea last month. However, Khusanov was a standout performer in City's defence during the second half of their FA Cup win at Leyton Orient last week.

One of Khusanov's outstanding traits is his explosive pace, which is sure to come in handy when preventing counter-attacks, while he is also a combative tackler, is composed on the ball and has the defensive intellect that Nunes lacks.

Guardiola confirmed on Khusanov's arrival that the defender can play at right-back, but bearing in mind his lack of experience playing at the highest level, the Catalan will ponder whether it is best for the team going forward to regularly select the Uzbekistan international on the right side of his defence.

John Stones

Guardiola may instead turn to experienced and trusted member of his senior squad in the form of treble-winning hero John Stones to play at right-back in the coming weeks.

Injury setbacks have troubled Stones in recent years, but the England international has been an important player for Man City when fit and available, and he has admirably stepped up when called upon to play in a variety of different positions in defence and midfield.

Stones most recently operated in midfield against Real Madrid, before moving back into the heart of defence midway through the second half. The 30-year-old has also had experience playing at right-back for the Citizens and played in this role against Real Madrid in the Champions League three seasons ago.

Man City's No.5 is one of the best ball-playing defenders around, which has seen him regularly step infield to become an additional midfielder in the build-up phase. Guardiola has previously instructed Lewis to move into midfield from a right-back role, and may consider doing the same with a more assured defender in Stones if he wishes to continue with this tactical approach in possession.

Verdict - who should play regularly at right-back for Man City?

Guardiola is likely to rotate his right-back options during their testing run and select players who he believes are best suited to cope with the threat of a particular opponent.

While Lewis is Man City's only natural right-back option, Guardiola seems to prefer Nunes ahead of him at present, particularly in the so-called bigger games which are coming thick and fast for the Citizens over next couple of months.

Nether Lewis or Nunes have looked convincing at right-back, though, so Guardiola could well be tempted to go with either Khusanov or Stones in some matches. That will likely depend on whether both Dias and Ake can remain fit in central defence, though.

If so, opting for one of Khusanov or Stones would seemingly strengthen Man City from a defensive perspective on the right side and would also give Josko Gvardiol the freedom to advance further forward on the left side where he has posed a constant threat going forward.

Written by

Oliver Thomas