Manchester City will be without defender Ruben Dias for three to four weeks due to a muscle injury, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday. This latest setback adds to the struggles of the reigning champions, whose aspirations of retaining the Premier League title have been faltering in recent weeks.
City will visit Aston Villa on Saturday, aiming to remedy their current plight and halt what has become the worst run of results during Guardiola’s managerial tenure. The team finds themselves languishing in fifth place in the league, with only one victory from their last eleven matches across all competitions.
Dias sustained the injury during City’s heartbreaking 2-1 derby defeat to Manchester United last Sunday. “It was a muscular injury; after 75 minutes against Manchester United, he felt something. He is so strong that he stayed on the pitch, but now he is injured,” Guardiola explained to reporters.
The news is somewhat tempered by the return of fellow defender Manuel Akanji, who has resumed training after an early-month injury. “This is good for us,” Guardiola remarked.
City’s derby loss against United was particularly dramatic, as they conceded two goals in quick succession after leading in the 88th minute. Following that match, Guardiola appeared despondent, reflecting on the team’s poor form and taking personal responsibility. “I am not good enough,” he told reporters during a lengthy post-match press conference.
However, his tone had brightened by Friday. “I just finished a game where we were close to winning, and we lost. For the sequences that happened, I was not happy,” Guardiola said. “I tried to be honest with myself about six or seven days ago. But if you fall down six times, you have to stand up seven. I am fine. I am a normal person with feelings like everyone else. When a situation is going well, we are better; when it is not, we focus more on what we have to do.”
Aston Villa, just two points and two places below City in the league standings will leapfrog the champions with a win at Villa Park on Saturday. Under the guidance of Unai Emery, Villa has enjoyed a successful Champions League campaign, presently sitting fifth in the table with two matches remaining in the league phase, in stark contrast to City, who are struggling in 22nd place.
Guardiola acknowledged Villa’s commendable form, stating, “I’m not surprised. They have an excellent manager. Their success in qualifying for the Champions League and their results speak for themselves. They are managing both competitions very well.”
The last time City faced Villa at Villa Park, they suffered a 1-0 defeat just over a year ago but later rebounded with a resounding 4-1 victory in early April. However, Guardiola dismissed the relevance of those past encounters. “Why do you have to compare what happened?” he said. “The past is the past; this is a new moment, and we have to deal with it.”
As City prepares for this crucial fixture, the pressure is on to return to winning ways and regain their footing in both the league and European competitions.
