Manchester City suffer massive injury blow as 25-year-old is ruled out for a month with thigh problem: Reports

Manchester City have suffered a massive injury blow as Ruben Dias has been ruled out for approximately a month with a thigh problem, as per the Daily Mail.

The Portugal international suffered a hamstring injury during his country's last 16 win against Switzerland in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, he still played the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 quarterfinal defeat against Morocco.

The 25-year-old is yet to train with the Cityzens since his return from Qatar alongside England international Kalvin Phillips. Speaking after Manchester City's 3-2 Carabao Cup fourth-round win against Liverpool, manager Pep Guardiola said:

"Ruben is injured. Kalvin Phillips is not fit, he did not arrive in the best condition to play."

Kyle Walker is reportedly fit to play, which means that the defending Premier League champions will no longer have to play center-halves at right-back. Dias, 25, is one of five 'captains' under Guardiola and a key part of their backline.

He has played 109 games for the club across competitions since arriving from SL Benfica in the summer of 2020. Dias was a starring presence in defense as Manchester City won back-to-back league titles in his first two seasons.

In his absence, the Spanish tactician will have Nathan Ake, John Stones, and Aymeric Laporte to choose from. Given the trio's quality, who all represented their countries at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Guardiola should be able to navigate DIas' absence.

The Manchester-based giants will play Everton and Leeds United in the Premier League in December, before a double-header against Chelsea. An EFL Cup quarterfinal against Southampton on 10 January could be the final game that Dias misses with his latest injury and he will be eager to be back in action before the derby against Manchester United on January 14.

---

Guardiola lavishes praise on Manchester City superstar after win against Liverpool

Kevin de Bruyne played a starring role in Manchester City's EFL Cup win over Liverpool on Thursday (22 December). The Belgium international assisted two of his team's three goals from open play as the Reds failed to recover for the third time in a game that finished 3-2.

Guardiola believes this frustration of exiting the World Cup in the group stage would have spurred De Bruyne to be even better. Speaking after the win, the former Barcelona boss said:

"Kevin (De Bruyne) was incredible too. Kevin needs to be a bit grumpy, upset, to be at his best. When this happens, what a player. He's a legend, he'll be remembered forever as one of the greatest players of all time."