Pep Guardiola has confirmed Manchester City will have to do without centre-back Ruben Dias for at least the next three weeks.

Dias missed November with a calf injury but played the full 90 minutes in each of City’s last four games, including in the Manchester derby defeat to Manchester United last weekend.

It was in that 2-1 defeat to the Red Devils that Dias picked up an injury which Guardiola first revealed would keep the centre-back out for “a long time”.

Pushed to give a specific timeframe, Guardiola added: “Three or four weeks. Muscular. 75 minutes against United. He felt something but he is so strong and wanted to stay on the pitch.”

Guardiola also revealed that goalkeeper Ederson “may not be ready” for City’s trip to face Aston Villa on Saturday, but did not disclose the nature of the Brazilian’s problem.

City remain without Dutch international Nathan Ake but Dias’ absence has been counteracted by the returns of both John Stones and Manuel Akanji to full training.

“Manuel and John are back in training,” he said. “That is good for us. As many players that are back the better.

“I don’t know yet [if they can start against Aston Villa]. Yesterday was their first training session, I would say, properly. They have been out for a while.”

City head into the game having lost eight of their last 11 games across all competitions – a run that is comfortably the worst of Guardiola’s managerial career. The eight-time Premier League winners trail leaders Liverpool by nine points as a result, and sit fifth in the table behind Chelsea, Arsenal and surprise package Nottingham Forest.

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