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Manchester City take a big injury hit, as defender Ruben Dias is ruled out for up to a month, and is likely to miss the double header with Chelsea and Man United, due to a thigh injury sustained while playing for Portugal in the World Cup.
- Ruben Dias suffered a thigh problem during Portugal’s round of 16 victory in Qatar
- But the Manchester City and Portugal defender continued to play during the tournament
- Portugal was knocked out four days later and Dias has not trained with City since.
- He is likely to miss vital games against Chelsea and Man United in January.
Manchester City suffered a blow brought on by the World Cup as Ruben Dias was ruled out for up to a month.
Sportsmail understands that Dias suffered a thigh problem during Portugal’s round of 16 win over Switzerland, but continued to play throughout the tournament.
The central defender remained on the pitch for the full 90 minutes when Portugal were knocked out by Morocco four days later and has not trained with City since his return from Qatar.
Manchester City suffered a blow brought on by the World Cup as Ruben Dias was ruled out for up to a month.
His absence is a headache for Pep Guardiola, although City’s injury problems in defense have been alleviated with the return of Kyle Walker.
An initial assessment suggested Dias, one of the club’s five captains, will miss City’s next five games after their 3-2 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
The spell on the sidelines should rule the 25-year-old out of a double header with Chelsea and the derby against Manchester United on January 14. Dias is desperate to prove his fitness before the trip to Old Trafford.
His absence is a headache for Pep Guardiola, although injury problems in City’s defense have been eased with the return of Kyle Walker, meaning central midfielders are no longer required to fill in at right-back.
Kalvin Phillips was also absent in training after returning from international duty and was absent at the Etihad Stadium.
The central midfielder’s five substitute appearances have totaled less than 60 minutes of football since his £42m move from Leeds United in the summer.
Dias is believed to have suffered a thigh injury against Switzerland but continued to play in Qatar.
Guardiola also revealed that Kalvin Phillips is also not fit and ‘did not arrive in the best condition to play’
Ruben is hurt. Kalvin Phillips is not in shape, he did not arrive in the best condition to play,’ Guardiola said.
Guardiola predicted that 18-year-old Rico Lewis, who again impressed at right-back, has a bright future with the Premier League champions.
“Without him, we couldn’t have played the way we played,” said the City boss. ‘Today I was against a real senior team. It’s about how he is without the ball. We have the privilege of almost announcing that he will be an incredible player for City for years to come.
‘He understands everything in a second and applies it so quickly. He always plays well, but against Liverpool? He is 18 years old. Outstanding. He was the man of the match.
“Kevin (De Bruyne) was also amazing. Kevin needs to be a little grumpy, upset, to be at his best. When this happens, which player. He is a legend, he will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players of all time.
While pleased with Liverpool’s performance, Jurgen Klopp – who now has Roberto Firmino injured with a calf problem and watched James Milner leave with a hamstring strain – lamented a slow start.
“They do things differently and we needed 15 minutes. It may cost you,” she said. We had our moments, we could have scored more goals. It was a spectacular match, very intense. There’s a lot to take away from that. We probably played against the best team in the world. It’s normal for you to struggle at times, I accept that.’