The 1-1 draw against Chelsea on 5/1 not only saw Man City fall 6 points behind league leaders Arsenal in the English Premier League but also cost them two more defenders: Dias and Gvardiol. The versatile Croatian defender sustained an injury and left the field in the 51st minute, while the Portuguese center-back was substituted in the 81st minute.

Gvardiol was diagnosed with a fractured right tibia and requires surgery this week. Man City has not announced a specific timeline, but such fractures typically need at least three months for recovery. Consequently, the 23-year-old defender could miss most of the remaining season.

Yesterday, 6/1, coach Guardiola confirmed Dias would be out for 4 to 6 weeks with a hamstring injury. The 28-year-old center-back's injury means Man City has only 13 fit outfield players available for the match against Brighton on 8/1.

Coach Guardiola faces a personnel crunch with three key defenders — Stones (left), Dias (center), and Gvardiol — simultaneously unavailable. *Photo: BR*

Man City's defense currently faces a severe personnel crisis, with John Stones also recovering from injury, having only played one English Premier League match since 8/2025. Additionally, full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri is away with the Algeria national team at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Guardiola's first-team options for defense are now limited to Nico O’Reilly, Matheus Nunes, Nathan Ake, Rico Lewis, and Abdukodir Khusanov, all of whom are makeshift solutions. The 21-year-old Lewis often plays as a central midfielder, drifting in from the right flank. The 21-year-old Khusanov is still adapting to English football, while Ake, at 30, appears slow and could depart in the summer.

The current situation may force Man City to consider signing center-back Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace this January, rather than waiting until the summer. Guehi is entering the final six months of his contract at Selhurst Park and is now free to negotiate with other clubs.

Guardiola also acknowledged that his club might make a few moves in the open transfer market. "We might bring in one new player, but we won't buy four or five players like at the beginning of last year", he said on 6/1. "With the spirit we have, we can always overcome this difficult period. Aside from the fatigue of some players, I remain very optimistic and confident."

Even if Man City approaches Guehi, the deal might not materialize. Palace head coach Oliver Glasner previously intervened to prevent Guehi from moving to Liverpool on the final day of the summer 2025 transfer window, when the defender was undergoing a medical in London.

Man City has recalled Max Alleyne from his loan spell at Watford, and the 20-year-old center-back could feature immediately. Alleyne has made 17 appearances in the English Championship this season. The Manchester club is also close to signing Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth, after English sources indicated they would activate his 88 million USD release clause.