Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reveals search for a new defender will resume in January

City will start with Eliaquim Mangala alongside Nicolas Otamendi in defence on Saturday

Pep Guardiola is down to the bare bones in central defence (Getty)

Pep Guardiola has admitted Manchester City are looking to add another central defender to their squad in the forthcoming January transfer window, but only if the right player can be found.

City will start with Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala partnered at the back when Tottenham Hotspur visit the Etihad on Saturday, with John Stones and Vincent Kompany unavailable through injury.

Mangala’s career at the club appeared to be nearing its end during the summer but Guardiola has been forced to draft the centre-back back in given his squad’s lack of alternatives.

City failed in an attempt to sign Jonny Evans from West Bromwich Albion towards the close of the summer window and Guardiola suggested that his search for a new defender will resume in January.

“We just speak about that with the club, with Txiki [Begiristain, City's technical director],” Guardiola said when asked about potential January business.

“In central defence we don't have many. We have Tosin [Adarabioyo], he's still young, he still has to improve. Vincent is always injured. He fights a lot to be ready but sometimes he's not to able to be consistently fit.

“We have just three central defenders at the moment for competition. Maybe we need one more guy in that position, but winter is so complicated,” the City manager added.

“It's not taking a guy for just three months, four months, it's for the next years. We have to sure the guy is the right guy to help us. If it doesn't happen, we are not going to go to the market.”