Pep Guardiola insists he will find a solution to Manchester City’s defensive crisis after John Stones was ruled out for up to five weeks with a thigh injury.
The Premier League champions are down to just one fit senior centre-back after Stones broke down in training ahead of Wednesday's game against Shakhtar Donetsk.
But Guardiola, who is also without the injured Aymeric Laporte until at least January, delivered a defiant response to the latest setback.
“Football is not how you handle good situations, but how you handle bad ones,” said the City manager. “We won seven titles and no one gave us anything, we did it ourselves.
“I am ready for the challenge. I like this situation.”
Fernandinho is set to step in as makeshift cover alongside Nicolas Otamendi as City kick off their Champions League campaign against Shakhtar.
Teenagers Eric Garcia and Taylor Harwood-Bellis are also likely to be called upon in the coming weeks as Guardiola aims to battle on all fronts with a depleted rearguard.
Stones’ injury has placed further scrutiny on the decision not to replace the departed Vincent Kompany in the summer, with Guardiola openly admitting City wouldn’t give him the funds to outbid Manchester United for Harry Maguire.
“For me as a manager it’s an incredible challenge, just one central defender in Nico,” he said. “But I believe a lot. People don’t know the spirit and resolve to solve this problem.
“It’s happened, but what we are not going to do is complain. If they are not able, they are not able.
“We have to have 11 players on the pitch and I like it, to find a solution.”
Predicted XIs
Shakhtar: Pyatov, Bolbat, Kryvtsov, Matviyenko, Ismaily, Stepanenko, Alan Patrick, Tete, Marlos, Taison, Moraes
Man City: Ederson; Cancelo, Fernandinho, Otamendi, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva; Bernardo, Aguero, Sterling
