Man City handed huge injury boost ahead of decisive week | OneFootball

Manchester City centre-back Ruben Dias has been spotted back in training after a spell on the sidelines through injury, with his potential return coming ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.

Dias has been nursing a muscular issue for the past month, last appearing in the club's late defeat to city rivals Manchester United in mid-December. City enjoyed a mini-revival after Christmas, stringing together three consecutive victories with performances that weren't all entirely convincing, before falling to a calamitous 2-2 draw with Brentford on Tuesday night.

City led 2-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium with less than ten minutes remaining but still conspired to emerge without all three points. The defending champions have already shipped 29 league goals - as many as Arsenal conceded across the entirety of last season.

At the time of Dias' absence, Pep Guardiola predicted that he would be without his centre-back for "three or four weeks". That rough recovery period has elapsed and the imposing defender participated in first-team training on Wednesday with the players who didn't start the draw with Brentford.

Ruben Dias has been reduced to the role of frustrated spectator / Carl Recine/GettyImages

Dias' arrival cannot come soon enough for City. The Sky Blues travel to newly promoted Ipswich Town on Sunday before venturing to the French capital for a crucial Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain. Both modern European giants are flirting with the distinct possibility on failing to qualify for the competition's knockout stages.

After that continental clash, City return to domestic duties with a visit from high-flying Chelsea on Saturday, 25 January.

Guardiola has always maintained that the simple solution to City's fragility would always be a return to fitness for his fleet of injured players. Dias has been sharing the treatment room with fellow first-choice centre-back John Stones and the reigning Ballon d'Or holder Rodri.

Aside from relying solely upon the club's medical department, City have turned to the transfer market in a bid to strengthen their backline.

Abdukodir Khusanov is poised to arrive from Lens and a deal has also been agreed for Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis. The young centre-backs have a combined age of 39 and will likely command a sum in the region of £70m between them.