Overview
- Pep Guardiola confirmed Ruben Dias has a hamstring injury that will sideline him for four to six weeks, with John Stones still unavailable and without a return date.
- Josko Gvardiol sustained a tibial fracture against Chelsea and will undergo surgery, with the club saying the full prognosis is still being assessed.
- Manchester City recalled 20-year-old centre-back Max Alleyne from his Watford loan, leaving Nathan Aké, Abdukodir Khusanov and Alleyne as available options in central defence.
- Guardiola said any January business will be measured rather than a repeat of last year’s spending, as internal talks consider accelerating long-term interest in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi.
- Guardiola ruled out recalling certain loanees and pointed to fixture congestion and AFCON absences as City prepare to face Brighton before domestic cup ties.