Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has, on Friday, revealed the concerning extent of the injury picked up by star defender Ruben Dias.

For those not aware, Dias was one of two members of the Sky Blues’ backline, alongside Nathan Ake, to limp out of the club’s FA Cup downing of Peterborough during the week.

After pulling up with a hamstring issue, the Portuguese international failed to reemerge for the 2nd-half of action, with John Stones introduced in his place.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Pep Guardiola was therefore inevitably drawn on the wellbeing of his defensive stalwart.

And, in a blow for all associated with the club, the City boss went on to reveal that Dias is facing a lengthy spell, likely to be somewhere between four and six weeks, out of action.

Nathan Ake, meanwhile, will too be unavailable moving forward.

“It will be four to six weeks. It happens in a season,” Guardiola explained.

“I don’t love it, we need him – a lot. Ruben is massively important for us but he is not there.

“I’m not going to cry. We have just two central defenders – it is what it is.”

Derby day incoming

News of Dias’ injury, of course, could not come at a much more inopportune time for Manchester City.

This comes with the Citizens set to play out one of the more high-profile fixtures of their campaign in just shy of 48 hours’ time.

In a crucial outing amid the club’s concerted efforts to ward off the threat of Liverpool behind them, the Premier League table-toppers will welcome cross-town rivals Manchester United to the Etihad, hopeful of a similar outcome to the one they managed at Old Trafford back in November, when Guardiola’s troops eventually emerged on the right side of a 2-0 scoreline.

 

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