Pep Guardiola warns not to expect too much from returning Aymeric Laporte | Football

Pep Guardiola said Aymeric Laporte cannot alone solve Manchester City’s defensive problems when the centre-back returns from a serious knee injury.

The defensive lynchpin has been out since the end of August during which time City’s rearguard have struggled, conceding 13 more goals than Liverpool.

Laporte is back in full training and is hopeful of making a curtailed appearance in the home FA Cup tie against Fulham on Sunday.

City’s vulnerability was again exposed when Crystal Palace scored a late equaliser at the Etihad on Saturday. Wilfried Zaha was allowed to run through the defence down the left before forcing a Fernandinho own goal.

Guardiola criticised defensive failings after the 2-2 draw but admitted Laporte alone is not the answer. “We cannot expect Aymeric is going to solve all of the problems,” the manager said.

“He is getting better and the doctor is going to evaluate him and I am going to talk to him about when it will be possible to come back. But after four or five months he will need time, so he will not be ready immediately to do it.”

Despite dominating Palace, City struggled to convert chances in a match in which Cenk Tosun’s opener came, like Fernandinho’s own goal, during a rare attack from the visitors.

“They didn’t need much to score,” Guardiola said. “We have to improve. We [will] work on that and be more solid and be more aggressive. At the end all we can do is to try to play and do it and to create chances and concede few. You have to accept one or two actions [against us]. The rest – we [have to] control it.”

Guardiola was impressed with Benjamin Mendy who was a constant attacking threat along City’s left flank. “He played really good and the final decision in the final third was really good. He had a good game and made good crosses. He plays after [virtually] two seasons injured, so his physical condition is getting better.”