Pep Guardiola reveals new defensive injury blow sustained in PSG defeat | OneFootball

Manchester City have sustained yet another defensive injury blow, this time during the damning 4-2 defeat to PSG on Wednesday night.

The Premier League champions fell into the UEFA Champions League’s elimination zone with their latest drubbing in the competition, having blown a 0-2 lead to lose 4-2 in the French capital with four different scorers for the hosts.

Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola got PSG back into the game after Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland’s goals for Manchester City, before all three points were secured and the turnaround completed thanks to Joao Neves and Goncalo Ramos.

That defeat means that Manchester City have no other choice but to win on the final matchday of the league phase next week, when Belgian side Club Brugge make the trip to the Etihad Stadium hoping to issue a serious blow to the club’s entire season.

But damaging matters on the pitch did not just conclude at the scoreline, as manager Pep Guardiola revealed after the game that one of his substitutions at the Parc des Princes was forced due to an injury concern.

Speaking to reporters from the French capital, Guardiola was asked for his reasoning behind withdrawing Ruben Dias from the action at the half-time interval, with the score finely poised at 0-0 but with the hosts threatening on multiple occasions.

The Manchester City manager revealed, “Yeah, he (Ruben Dias) didn’t feel good. He asked to be replaced because he didn’t feel good.”

When further pressed for insight on the severity of the problem and whether the Portugal international could now be ruled out for a long time, Guardiola responded, “I don’t know, I don’t think so but he said, ‘I cannot play the second-half’.”

Manchester City have been boosted by the arrival of two new central defenders this week after the club unveiled the signing of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis from RC Lens and Palmeiras respectively.

Guardiola told reporters in the build-up to the clash with PSG that both youngsters are ready to feature for his side immediately, and their first opportunity for a debut will come against Chelsea from the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday evening.