Bernardo Silva explains size of Ruben Dias’ absence for Manchester City as winless run worsens | OneFootball

Manchester City’s mainstay central defender in Ruben Dias is a significant miss for the club, teammate Bernardo Silva has explained this week.

The Portugal international has been absent from Manchester City’s last two matches having picked up a muscular issue in recent games that have left him requiring time away from the first-team squad in order to recover.

Having been drafted in for Manchester City’s visit to Tottenham last week for the Carabao Cup fourth round, Dias would go on to miss the 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth and the 4-1 loss against Sporting in the Champions League this week.

The 27-year-old’s injury problem is just one of several issues being handled by manager Pep Guardiola in recent weeks, alongside fellow central defender John Stones and Jack Grealish, as well as longer-term issues for Oscar Bobb and Rodri.

Speaking during a media conference around City’s eventual 4-1 defeat to Sporting on Tuesday night, Bernardo Silva explained just how much the club misses the presence of Ruben Dias in their defence as the Portugal international treats a muscular injury.

“He’s my best friend in the team, someone I get along with really well, and even though he’s a bit younger than me, we still shared some moments at Benfica when we were there,” Silva reflected on their past together.

“And he’s a leader – that’s the word that best defines him! He’s a bit intense in the way that he works, sometimes a bit too much for me, but that shows his passion for the game,” he continued.

“Focus, always connected to the game, body language, everything that you expect a proper defender to have, he’s got everything! Apart from that, the importance that he’s got on the dressing room is massive because of him being so loud. We miss him!”

Manchester City are unlikely to see Ruben Dias return for the club’s final encounter before the international break, with the Premier League champions once again visiting the south coast this weekend for a meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex.

City will go into the clash in second position in the Premier League table, trailing Arne Slot’s Liverpool by two points and holding a four-point advantage on third-place Nottingham Forest at the top of the division.