Pep Guardiola handed ANOTHER injury blow with Manchester City defender set for lengthy spell on sidelines | OneFootball

Nathan Ake is facing a lengthy period of absence after coming off at half-time in Manchester City’s 5-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The 30-year-old has struggled with recurring injuries over the last two years and came off for Ruben Dias at the interval as a brace from Nico O’Reilly and a late Kevin De Bruyne strike took Manchester City through to the FA Cup quarter-final.

As City look to rebuild their squad in the summer, there have been question marks surrounding the long-term future of Ake – whose contract runs until 2027 – following an increasing number of injuries that have kept the Dutchman on the treatment table.

John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Ruben Dias have all faced spells on the sidelines this term and while the latter is nailed on to remain a hallmark in City’s backline, it will be interesting to see how the remainder of the season pans out for Stones, Akanji and Ake in particular.

After Manchester City came from a goal behind to beat Plymouth Argyle at the weekend, Pep Guardiola said, “Now again we have a central defender out for a long time, I think we’ll miss Nathan (Ake).”

A silver lining – and Manchester City could do with as many as they come this season – is that Pep Guardiola’s concerns in defence have been alleviated significantly after the club signed young defensive duo Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis in the January transfer window.

“I’m so grateful to the club to bring Khusanov and Vitor; otherwise we have no chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season or fight for the FA Cup. Impossible! We would just have [Ruben] Dias,” the 54-year-old added.

After a largely forgettable debut against Chelsea days after his arrival, Khusanov has become a popular figure among City fans after a string of encouraging, fearless displays against the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Tottenham, while Reis has being used scarcely so far.

A tricky test away at Nottingham Forest next awaits the four-in-a-row Premier League champions in the coming week, and Pep Guardiola will be keen for a rare third straight win for City in all competitions in what has been an extraordinary season for the men in blue.