Pep Guardiola faces a significant challenge as Manchester City prepares to face Aston Villa on Saturday, with five key players set to miss the match. The City manager, 53, aims to recover from last Sunday’s 2-1 derby loss to Manchester United and halt the team’s poor run of form.
City has managed just one win in their last 11 matches across all competitions. However, their strong record against Villa could provide some encouragement, with the Villains securing only one victory in their last 17 meetings—a 1-0 win in December 2023.
For Saturday’s game, Rodri, Oscar Bobb, and Nathan Ake remain unavailable, while goalkeeper Ederson is a major doubt. Additionally, Guardiola confirmed that Ruben Dias will be sidelined for three to four weeks due to a muscular injury sustained after playing through discomfort in the derby.
“Ruben is out for a long time, and Ederson, I don’t know if he’ll be ready,” Guardiola said during Friday’s press conference. On Dias, he added: “Three or four weeks. Muscular. He felt something but wanted to stay on the pitch.”
On a positive note, defenders Manuel Akanji and John Stones have returned to full training, potentially strengthening City’s defence soon. However, Guardiola remains uncertain if they’ll feature against Villa, saying, “Yesterday was their first proper training session. They’ve been out for a while.”
Rico Lewis, suspended for the Manchester derby after a red card against Crystal Palace, is also available for selection.
Despite recent struggles, Guardiola expressed confidence in his team’s ability to bounce back. “I’ve had bad moments as a manager, but we always found a way to recover. This time, it’s taking longer—over 40 days of poor results—but I believe we can turn it around.”
The six-time Premier League-winning coach emphasized his team’s resilience, saying, “I know we can get a good result and see the team returning to form. That’s our goal.”
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