Man City's triple boost for Real Madrid or Bayern Munich - but transfer headache looms

Pep Guardiola had to cobble together a starting XI to face Club Brugge in their win-or-bust Champions League clash - but he will hope not to have that problem again in the knockout rounds.

Guardiola hopes his defensive ranks will be strengthened with players returning from injury while Oscar Bobb is close to a comeback despite sitting out against Brugge. And he will also be able to call upon his three January signings from the knockout stage after they were ineligible in City's final two League Phase fixtures.

Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis were at the Etihad to watch City book their place in the play-off round, and are set to be involved against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the next stage.

UEFA rules state that clubs can add up to three new players to their Champions League squad after the League Phase, with those clubs able to have played in Europe earlier in the season and be re-registered for a new club, freeing the way for Marmoush, Khusanov and Reis to be added.

Kyle Walker will be removed from the squad after his loan to AC Milan, while Josh Wilson-Esbrand's place in the squad will also be freed up after his loan to Stoke.

City had a 22-man squad in the League Phase from a maximum of 25, although that total was reduced to 24 due to having fewer 'locally-trained' players than the minimum quota. Wilson-Esbrand has further reduced the number of 'club-trained' players who have come through the City Football Academy.

So the new maximum for City for the play-off phase is 23 with room for two more City-trained players if they have any to add. The two exits of Walker and Wilson-Esbrand can therefore be replaced by the three new signings.

Any complication could arise if City sign anybody else, when a decision would then have to be made over which new signings would take the three vacant spots. Reis would be a likely candidate to drop out given the depth of centre-backs, unless a decision is taken that Rodri will not be fit to feature and his place is taken instead.

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