Pep Guardiola provides worrying fitness update on 2 Manchester City stars
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has provided a concerning update regarding two players: Ruben Dias and John Stones. The Cityzens have had a number of injury concerns this season. However, they received boosts, with players like Kyle Walker, Kevin de Bruyne, and Jeremy Doku all taking part against Bournemouth.
Others like Josko Gvardiol and Manuel Akanji are all fit for their Premier League match against the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium on November 2. However, Ruben Dias and John Stones are unavailable for City, moving forward.
Speaking ahead of the Bournemouth clash, Guardiola revealed (as per journalist Simon Bajkowski, via City Xtra on X) that the two players were out of contention for "a little bit of a long time".
It will be concerning for Manchester City, particularly in the case of John Stones. The defender has been a savior for the Cityzens in two Premier League games this season. In their 2-2 draw with Arsenal on September 22, he found the late goal that ensured the points were shared. Against Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 20, Stones scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time to end the game 2-1.
Ruben Dias has also been an important player for the Cityzens. This season, he has played 996 minutes across 14 games in all competitions.
Pep Guardiola complains about injury problems at Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has complained about the injury problems Manchester City are currently facing. Speaking after their 2-1 midweek loss in the EFL Cup to Tottenham Hotspur at New White Hart Lane, he revealed that most of his squad were struggling with niggling injuries.
The manager explained (via Sky Sports):
"We have 13 players (available) so we are in real difficulty. The guys that play, they finish most of them with problems and we'll see how they recover. Rico [Lewis] is the only player we cannot rest. We would like to rest, but we cannot do it..."
He further added:
"I think when we are in trouble, like we are because in nine years it has never happened this situation with many, many injuries for many, many reasons, in these situations, the players they make a step forward and they are more together than ever and they will try to do this week in this short time to recover."
Manchester City have already been knocked out of the EFL Cup. However, they still have trophies to play for, with the Premier League, FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League all underway. Pep Guardiola will hope his team can find the fitness to compete as the season progresses.