Pep Guardiola issues concerning injury update on Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol after Chelsea draw | OneFootball

Manchester City will be left hugely concerned by a double injury blow at the heart of their defensive unit sustained during Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea.

City entered the Etihad Stadium clash hoping to build momentum in the Premier League title race, but instead were forced to settle for a point after a frustrating afternoon against a well-organised Chelsea side.

Despite periods of control and a first-half breakthrough, Pep Guardiola’s side were unable to see out the contest, with late drama ultimately shifting the narrative away from the result and towards fitness concerns.

The match itself followed a familiar pattern in recent weeks, with City dominating possession and territory while being tested in moments of transition. Tijjani Reijnders’ well-taken strike before the interval appeared to have put the hosts on course for a vital victory, particularly after Erling Haaland struck the post and continued to trouble Chelsea’s back line.

However, Chelsea grew into the second half and began to expose City’s growing defensive fragility – an issue that has repeatedly surfaced across the season. The visitors’ persistence was rewarded deep into stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez capitalised on sustained pressure to snatch a deserved equaliser, leaving City six points adrift of Arsenal at the top.

Those broader concerns were compounded by worrying scenes involving Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol – both of whom were forced off during the contest and casting doubt over Pep Guardiola’s options heading into a demanding run of fixtures.

Speaking to reporters after the contest, Guardiola revealed that the injury sustained by Gvardiol “doesn’t look good”, before also confirming that Dias sustained a second-half injury himself against Calum McFarlane’s squad.

“We’ll see tomorrow. It doesn’t look good, him [Josko Gvardiol] and Ruben [Dias]. So we’ll see what happened,” said Guardiola, before also confirming the latter was withdrawn through an injury himself late on in the game.”

When pressed on whether the problems were either muscular matters or simply knocks, Guardiola said, “I didn’t speak with the doctor, but if Ruben is out it’s because he felt something, yeah.”

The Catalan head coach went on to admit that he is concerned about the number of injuries to defenders within his Manchester City squad, as he added, “Of course we have a lot! John Stones is missing for I don’t know how many months, Ruben now will be out, Josko will be out, and Nathan [Ake] – always we know with Nathan he cannot play regularly.

“It’s a situation. But at the same time, it’s what happened last season, so stay strong and we’ll find a solution. The spirit will be there. The spirit is there, and will be there.”

Should both Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol face spells on the sidelines, Pep Guardiola’s defensive resources will be stretched even further, particularly with John Stones already ruled out long-term and Nathan Aké carefully managed.

Attention will now turn to upcoming medical assessments and whether Guardiola is forced into reshaping his back line in the short term, potentially leaning on squad versatility or youth options in the way of Abdukodir Khusanov, Nathan Ake, and Stephen Mfuni.

With the Premier League title race tightening, cup competitions looming, and European commitments ongoing, Manchester City’s ability to navigate this injury crisis could prove decisive in shaping the remainder of their campaign.