- John Stones picked up an injury during the international break
- Ruben Dias has since been sidelined too
- Pep Lijnders reveals when each player will return
Manchester City’s assistant manager has explained how long Ruben Dias and John Stones are likely to be unavailable as a result of their respective injuries.
There is absolutely no concern about Manchester City’s defence right now, considering their most recent results.
The Citizens beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final, before thumping Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
These clean sheets were kept, despite the fact neither Ruben Dias nor John Stones played in either match. Stones was actually available for selection, but he got injured during the international break. Whereas Dias missed the final due to an injury and he is now dealing with a new concern.
Pep Lijnders delivers recovery timeline for the Man City duo
Saturday saw Pep Lijnders manage Man City due to Pep Guardiola’s touchline ban and the Dutchman has given an injury update on Dias and Stones.
According to Lijnders, the England international’s injury is not that concerning, but there is no clear timeline on when Dias will be fit again.
He said in his post-match press conference: “Ruben [Dias] got a knock in the last few minutes of training. We are assessing it, I think he has a scan today [Saturday].
John [Stones] I think will not be long term,” Lijnders added.
Man City should not be too worried about Stones and Dias
Stones has rarely started even when he has been fit, which means his spell on the sidelines will be of little concern to Pep Guardiola.
Dias has played a much more important role this season, but City have done well in spite of the Portuguese star’s absence.
Nathan Ake stepped up in the Carabao Cup final and Marc Guehi has proved to be a useful addition. Then of course, there is Abdukodir Khusanov, whose recent performances earned him the club’s player of the month award.
Therefore, even with Stones and Dias injured for the time being, Man City have enough quality in their ranks to be just fine.
