Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho’s dismissals in the ugly fracas at the end of the defeat to Chelsea take City’s total of red cards to six already this season.
Aguero will serve a four-game ban – for his reckless lunge on David Luiz – having already served a retrospective ban for elbowing Winston Reid.
Fernandinho will miss tomorrow’s Champions League clash with Celtic having been sent off for two cautions against Borussia Monchengladbach and then the next three domestic fixtures following his throat grabbing red mist on Cesc Fabregas.
Nolito and Claudio Bravo are the players to have seen red this season while Nicolas Otamendi will also miss Saturday’s trip to Leicester after picking up his fifth caution of the season against Chelsea.
On top of all the suspensions, Guardiola somehow has to shore up a defence that has kept only one clean sheet in the last 15 games in all competitions.
Tomorrow’s ‘dead’ rubber with Celtic at the Etihad would be a good place to start a run of ‘shut outs’ given that it was the 3-3 draw at Parkhead in September when the alarm bells started ringing over City’s defence.