The Manchester City fans were relieved to move into 2018 with their unbeaten record still in tact after a dramatic finale to their away trip to Selhurst Park on New Year’s Eve. 

Pep Guardiola’s City slickers rode their luck on the final day of 2017 against Crystal Palace. City’s Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson has been one of the stars of the show so far this season and a strong mid-season contender for signing of the season, and he once again proved his value within the star-studded City squad by saving Luka Milivojevic’s 92nd minute penalty. However, his last gasp heroics were not enough to continue City’s incredible run of 18 league victories on the bounce, as the game finished 0-0 in South-London.

Ederson’s penalty save was perhaps the only silver lining to an otherwise miserable afternoon for The Citizens which saw both Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus forced off through injury.

And it seems as if City’s Brazilian striker has suffered the more severe of the two injuries, as City’s official website have reported Jesus is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering medial collateral ligament damage.

The loss of Jesus at this stage in the season has stirred up plenty of concern amongst The Citizens faithful propping up the bar in the tavern, as his injury leaves Guardiola with only one recognised centre-forward at his disposal.

City still have plenty to play for in four separate competitions this season, and there is absolutely no doubt Guardiola will be hoping to win them all this season.

But for all of Sergio Aguero’s qualities, his record with injuries in recent years cannot be ignored, and he will certainly struggle to lead the line for the remainder of the season without the support of another striker.

With that being said, here are two players Guardiola should pursue in January to ease the burden of losing Jesus.

Ciro Immobile

Serie A’s second top goalscorer has been an absolute revelation whilst playing for Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio side so far this season.

In just 17 appearances for the club, Immobile has mustered up 16 goals and provided 8 assists to help Lazio climb to 5th place in the Italian top-flight, just 2 points behind Roma in the Champions League places.

Immobile’s contract runs until 2022 so there is no doubt that Lazio would demand an enormous fee for his services, but considering the Italian international has the best years ahead of him, he would certainly justify his price tag during a career in Manchester.

Manchester City will need a proven goalscorer to cover Jesus but also improve the City’s squad in the long-term, and Immobile certainly fits the bill based on the evidence of his record in Serie A.

Alexis Sanchez

The signing of Sanchez from Arsenal has looked on the cards for a while, and Jesus’ injury might just speed up City’s pursuit of the Chile international.

Despite the fact that Sanchez is 29-years-old, there seems to be very few reasons to suggest he would not be a suitable fit for The Citizens.

If there’s one thing Guardiola demands from his players then it’s hard-work and dedication to his high-press footballing philosophy.

Throughout Sanchez’s career at Arsenal he has proven himself as one of the hardest working attacking players in the Premier League, so he should adapt to Guardiola’s system like a duck to water.

Sanchez looks perfectly suited to City’s style of play, so they should do everything they can to make a sensational signing this month.