Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has suggested that Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte will be his go-to centre-back pairing for the foreseeable future.
Long criticised because of their defensive weaknesses, particularly at centre-back following the departure of Vincent Kompany, City added Dias to their ranks from Benfica this summer in order to increase both their quality and depth after a campaign in which they had to make do with only two natural central defenders.
Guardiola seems to believe the Portugal star is the answer to his problems in that sector, where his partnership with Laporte has shown cause for optimism in recent weeks.