Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that star defender Ruben Dias will be out of action for “three or four weeks” after sustaining a muscular injury during the recent 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.
The 27-year-old Portuguese international completed the full 90 minutes at Old Trafford but began experiencing discomfort with 15 minutes left to play. Despite the issue, Dias pushed through to finish the game, demonstrating his resilience. “He’s out for a long time,” Guardiola revealed during his pre-match press conference ahead of City’s clash with Aston Villa on Saturday. “Three or four weeks – muscular issue. He played 75 minutes against United and felt something, but he is so strong he stayed on the pitch, and now he is injured.”
Dias joins an expanding list of sidelined players for City, which now includes goalkeeper Ederson, who remains a doubt for the Villa Park trip. The squad has been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks, with Oscar Bobb, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, and Rodri all unavailable in City’s most recent fixture. Additionally, key players such as Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, and John Stones have also missed significant time this season.
The wave of injuries has taken a toll on Guardiola’s team, contributing to their poor run of form. City have managed just one win in their last 11 matches, a slump that has raised questions about their ability to maintain their usual dominance as they deal with these setbacks.
