Manchester Metropolis have suffered a recent damage blow with supervisor Pep Guardiola confirming Portugal central defender Ruben Dias has been dominated out for “three or 4 weeks” with a muscle damage.
Dias, who suffered the damage in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Manchester United, will miss your complete festive programme and probably the FA Cup third-round tie with Salford on 11 January.
The 27-year-old additionally faces a battle to be match for Metropolis’s essential Champions League journey to Paris St-Germain on 22 January.
Dias has already missed seven video games with a calf damage this season, including to a defensive damage checklist that has seen John Stones, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and Kyle Walker all dominated out at numerous factors, whereas Ballon d’Or winner Rodri will miss the rest of the home season after struggling a cruciate knee ligament damage.
“It is a muscular drawback and he will probably be out for 3 to 4 weeks,” mentioned Guardiola.
“After 75 minutes in opposition to United he felt one thing. However he is so sturdy and needed to remain on the pitch. Now he is injured.”
Guardiola confirmed Stones, Akanji and midfielder Mateo Kovacic have all skilled this week and will function at Aston Villa on Saturday (12:30 GMT), however mentioned goalkeeper Ederson was “a doubt” with an unspecified drawback.
Amid Metropolis’s present run of 1 win in 11 video games, shock has been expressed about Guardiola’s use of children James McAtee and Nico O’Reilly.
Metropolis made some extent of protecting each gamers regardless of quite a few mortgage choices. But McAtee has made simply two substitute appearances – approaching within the final minute on each events – whereas O’Reilly is but to make his league debut.
But it surely appears they may keep on the membership for the second half of the season, with Guardiola replying “I do not assume so” when requested if gamers would possibly go away through the January switch window.