Manchester City in the midst of striker crisis

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is facing a striker shortage over the festive period

According to reports from a number of papers yesterday Manchester City are set to play the festive period with a ‘false number nine’, as they are currently in the midst of a striker crisis.

All three of City’s senior strikers are currently out injured, leaving the Citizens with just Spanish youngster Jose Pozo.

The champions face Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium in the early kick-off on Saturday and could start the game without a recognised striker.

Injured

Star striker Sergio Aguero is currently sidelined for at least six weeks with a knee injury, while Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko has a calf injury and Stevan Jovetic is struggling with a muscle problem.

The loss of Aguero is without doubt the biggest, as the Argentinian star had scored 14 Premier League goals and collected three assists. The 26-year-old is also currently the top scorer in the English top-flight.

That leaves just 18-year-old Pozo, as the only striking option left in the City squad. The youngster has made just Premier League appearances for the Citizens, including just one start which was against Leicester last time out.

The former-Real Madrid starlet has not had much of a chance to impress and it seems unfair to ask such a young player to shoulder the teams attacking burden.

No Strikers

It seems that City boss Manuel Pellegrini is set to field a team with a false number nine, reportedly with James Milner, David Silva and Samir Nasri the candidates to play in the role. All three have apparently been tested out in the role in training to see who would be best equipped to play in the role.

Silva and Nasri are very offensive players, while the versatile Milner has played in a variety of different roles for all his clubs and even country. Silva has played in the false number nine position for Spain in the past and has the football intelligence to play in the role.

Beneficial

Switching to a striker-less system could actually prove beneficial for City, because of the players they have in midfield. As well as the aforementioned Silva and Nasri, City have Yaya Toure, Frank Lampard and Jesus Navas who are very good attacking players.

Toure and Lampard are very effective at coming from deep midfield positions and getting on the scoresheet. Even without a striker City possess a major attacking threat and the Citizens have the players with the football ability to play the system perfectly.

Crystal Palace are likely to attempt to soak up the City pressure and then hit City on the break with the likes of Jason Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie. City having six midfielders on the pitch could negate Palace’s attacking threat.

It could provide the City defence with extra protection, not that they have needed it in recent games, as they have kept four clean sheets from their last five games in all competitions, even with captain Vincent Kompany missing in recent games.

Low Scoring

Crystal Palace tends to be involved in a lot of low scoring games. They are not a team that will score bags full of goals, but they are not terrible in defence either. That decent defensive record could be put to the test by City, with or without strikers.

Silva, Nasri, Navas, Lampard and Toure are likely to cause Palace problems at the back. If City do play a system without a conventional striker, then their midfielders are likely to have the freedom to roam forward and cause problems.

Run

City are currently on a run of six consecutive victories, with four of those wins coming in the Premier League. The Citizens are now just three points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea in the Premier League table.

Even with no senior strikers available to boss Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City have to be heavy favourites to claim victory against the Eagles.

Will a striker-less system work for Manchester City?