Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has confirmed that the team will be without key players Ederson, Matheus Nunes and Ruben Dias for their upcoming match against Aston Villa. This comes as a significant blow to the team as they prepare to face off at Villa Park on Saturday.
Ederson, who has been Manchester City's first-choice goalkeeper since his arrival in 2017 and has made an impressive 350 appearances for the club, is set to miss out on this crucial game. The Brazilian shot-stopper 'doesn't feel good', according to Guardiola. Stefan Ortega temporarily replaced him earlier this month for three games before Ederson was restored to City's starting line-up last weekend.
However, following their defeat against Manchester United last weekend - a result which means that City have now won just one of their last 11 games in all competitions - Ederson is once again absent from the squad. His absence means Ortega reclaims his place between the sticks. But it isn't just Ederson who will be missing from action today; Ruben Dias and Matheus Nunes are also sidelined due to injuries.
Injury woes continue
Guardiola had earlier confirmed during the week that first-choice centre half Ruben Dias would miss three or four weeks due to injury. Adding further woes is Matheus Nunes' absence; he played at left-back last Sunday but conceded a penalty sparking United's comeback victory. The injury list doesn't end there: long-term absentees Rodri and Oscar Bobb continue their recovery process while Nathan Ake also remains sidelined with an injury issue.
Despite these setbacks, there are some positives for Man City fans as John Stones and Manuel Akanji have both recovered from their respective injuries and have been named in Guardiola’s starting XI at Villa. Rico Lewis also returns to the squad having served his one-match suspension. In light of these injuries, Kevin De Bruyne and former Villa loanee Kyle Walker have been relegated to the bench for this fixture. Meanwhile, Jack Grealish - who hasn't scored for City in a little over a year - makes a return to the starting line-up at his former club.
The absence of key players is undoubtedly a significant blow for Manchester City as they face Aston Villa. However, with Guardiola's tactical acumen and the depth of talent in their squad, it will be interesting to see how they navigate this challenge.
