Manchester City have suffered a setback ahead of their crucial Premier League clash with Arsenal this weekend, with Ruben Dias still unavailable for selection, according to the Manchester City Evening News.
The club vice-captain picked up an ankle injury last month and is expected to remain sidelined for the rest of the month, ruling him out of key fixtures.
In his absence, Nathan Ake was paired with Abdukodir Khusanov in the League Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley, before Marc Guehi came into the defence for matches against Liverpool and Chelsea.
Pep Guardiola is likely to rely on that defensive combination again, but he faces a selection dilemma as City aim to strengthen their position in the title race.
With Dias joining Josko Gvardiol on the injury list and uncertainty surrounding John Stones’ fitness, City may have only three senior centre-backs available for two decisive matches within the next four days.
A victory over Arsenal at the Etihad on Sunday would give City the opportunity to move to the top of the table for the first time in months when they travel to Burnley on Wednesday.
Although their game in hand against Crystal Palace is scheduled for later in the season, the fixture against Burnley has been brought forward due to City’s FA Cup semi-final meeting with Southampton next weekend.
