JAKARTA - Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola says Oleksandr Zinchenko is ready to play in the second leg of the last 16 against Sporting. He said, the Ukrainian player could be called upon to fill the back line that lacked players.
City were dominant from start to finish in the first leg by winning 5-0, which became the largest margin of victory in the Champions League knockout stages.
However, the Premier League club are short of defender options heading into the second leg, with Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake sidelined through injury, while Joao Cancelo will miss Wednesday's game through illness.
"Zinchenko is ready, not an easy period for him, not at all, but I think he will be ready if he has to play," Guardiola said. "We don't have many players, only 14 are available."
"Obviously, we got a very good result in the first leg, but football is unpredictable. There aren't many alternatives but we will give our best team to win this game."
City's defensive problems were exacerbated by Kyle Walker's three-match ban in UEFA competition, after he was sent off in City's last group stage game, in a 2-1 loss to RB Leipzig, for fouling Andre Silva.
City appealed, but were rejected by UEFA, which Guardiola later called the right decision.
"Walker deserves three games, he did stupid things and he deserves it," said Guardiola. "I'm still angry with him. He knows that. He's very important for us, you saw how he played against Manchester United?
"Against Leipzig he did that when we were through, he deserves it. The club appealed, but I don't agree. Hopefully, he will learn in the future."
The Spaniard also praised captain Fernandinho, whose contract expires at the end of the season, and said the 36-year-old midfielder has what it takes to make the transition to management.
"Fernandinho and Kevin De Bruyne have attended all the meetings in the last six years and when we play they know what to do," said Guardiola.
"At half-time when we have time to improve they talk and every player has the freedom to do that. I like it when the players talk about the game.
"I haven't spoken about knowledge, passion, license to be a manager with Fernandinho, but as a midfielder and captain, he always thinks about this club. He has everything to be a manager."
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