Manchester City face anxious wait over Ruben Dias injury as Marc Guehi pursuit intensifies | OneFootball

Manchester City will conduct thorough assessments on Ruben Dias’ muscle injury after the defender was substituted against Chelsea at the weekend, as per a new report.

Dias went off in the second-half of Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with the west Londoners as Enzo Fernandez canceled Tijjani Reijnders’ 42nd minute opener with a 94th minute leveller to inflict further damage on City’s title chances.

The Blues are now six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal ahead of a visit from Brighton on Wednesday evening, where three points is a must as City look to return to winning ways after back-to-back draws against Sunderland and Chelsea.

City were handed another injury blow against Chelsea as Josko Gvardiol went off injured early in the second-half, with official club channels confirming on Monday that the Croatian suffered a tibial fracture to his right leg and will undergo surgery this week.

Gvardiol is expected to be out of action for four to five months, with Manchester City recalling on-loan academy graduate Max Alleyne from Watford to bolster their backline as they compete for silverware on several fronts.

Nathan Ake and John Stones are hardly reliable stand-ins when it comes to playing week-in, week-out as the former continues to be heavily linked with a January exit and the latter makes his way back to full fitness after suffering a leg injury in December 2025.

City have stepped up their pursuit of Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi after Sunday’s injury blows, with the 25-year-old set to leave the Eagles on a free transfer at the end of the season after a move to Liverpool broke down at the last minute in the 2025 summer transfer window.

Crystal Palace value Guehi at over £35 million but Manchester City are only willing to offer a sum below that figure, with Guardiola urgently needing reinforcements in defence as the Blues look to usurp Arsenal in a two-horse race where their chances have taken a major hit in the last week.

While it is possible that Gvardiol – who penned an emotional social media post on Monday evening – may not play again for Manchester City this season, the Blues are awaiting a full confirmation of the injury sustained by Dias against Chelsea.

As reported by Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan, the 28-year-old defender suffered a muscle injury on Saturday as Manchester City conduct further tests to ascertain the full extent of the issue and gauge how long Dias could be unavailable.

City welcome Brighton to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening and Guardiola will be at a loss on his upcoming partnership in central defence, with Ake – who came on against Chelsea – expected to play alongside Abdukodir Khusanov.

Guehi would prove a potent, much-needed addition to a depleted Manchester City backline and Guardiola will be desperate for reinforcements in defence to avoid another rendition of the 2024-25 injury crisis that marred the previous campaign for the title-chasing Blues.