Manchester City receive major fitness boost as star defender returns to training | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have received a huge boost to their defensive options through the return of Ruben Dias to training.

The development comes at a crucial juncture in City’s season, with momentum, squad depth, and defensive stability all under the microscope following a demanding run of fixtures, and off the back of a 2-2 draw at Tottenham – underlining the strain on the squad.

Manchester City have had to adapt without their defensive leader following his injury sustained against Chelsea alongside Josko Gvardiol, prompting internal adjustments that have largely steadied the ship.

Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guéhi have emerged as a reliable partnership at the heart of defence following the latter’s £20 million arrival from Crystal Palace, and their showings have given Guardiola a welcome selection headache.

The timing of Ruben Dias’ return is also significant given the fixture list ahead as Manchester City welcome Newcastle to the Etihad Stadium for the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday night, carrying a 2-0 advantage from the first meeting.

Beyond domestic cup action, attention will then quickly turn to Sunday’s Premier League showdown at Anfield, where Manchester City face Liverpool knowing they currently trail league leaders Arsenal by six points.

Now, off the back of suggestions from Pep Lijnders that Ruben Dias would return to training on Monday, the Portuguese centre-back has done just that by joining his Manchester City teammates on the grass at the City Football Academy this week.

While Dias’ presence on the training pitch does not automatically guarantee immediate involvement in competitive action, it does significantly broaden Pep Guardiola’s options during a decisive phase of the campaign.

Whether Ruben Dias is eased back gradually or restored straight into the starting line-up remains to be seen, but Pep Guardiola could issue an update when he addresses the media during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

Much may depend on the balance Guardiola wishes to strike between continuity and leadership, particularly given the strong understanding developed between Khusanov and Guéhi.

Looking ahead, Manchester City’s upcoming fixtures could provide the ideal platform to reintroduce Ruben Dias, especially with silverware and title momentum at stake.