Premier League injury news: Ruben Dias and Mason Mount ruled out for weeks, John Stones and Manuel Akanji in training

ByAlec McQuarrie

Published 20/12/2024 at 14:55 GMT

Pep Guardiola will be ruing his luck as the same week Manuel Akanji and John Stones returned to full training, his star centre-half Ruben Dias was ruled out for "three or four weeks". City face Aston Villa this Saturday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, with Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey potentially making their return. Ruben Amorim confirmed injury setbacks for Mason Mount and Victor Lindelof.

Double boost for City, but Dias out for weeks

John Stones has only made one appearance for Manchester City since the end of October, but the England centre-half could return to the fray against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Spending City’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United last Sunday on the bench, Stones was pictured in team training on Thursday.

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"Of course it is important he is back and at his best," Guardiola said in a press conference on Friday.

"When you are injured for three or four weeks you need time to get back to your best but of course he is important. An important player for us for many years."

Also joining the 30-year-old on the training field ahead of the Saturday lunch-time clash, shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+, was Manuel Akanji.

The Swiss international has not represented the Premier League champions since being substituted at half-time in City’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, their only victory in 11 matches.

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Rico Lewis will be available for selection once again too, after serving a suspension for his red card against Crystal Palace.

But one player who was still absent on Thursday was Nathan Ake, who continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

And Ruben Dias has been ruled out for "three to four weeks" according to Guardiola, with the centre-half picking up a muscle injury in the Manchester derby last weekend.

"[He will be out for] three or four weeks," said Guardiola. "It was a muscular injury, [after] 75 minutes against Manchester United he felt something. He is so strong and he stayed on the pitch and now he is injured."

Bailey and Mings set to feature

For City’s hosts, two first-team regulars are set to return after short absences, with Tyrone Mings expected to recover from the illness that kept him from competing in last weekend’s defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The 31-year-old has only made three appearances for Unai Emery’s side this season, having struggled with a protracted ACL tear since the opening day of last season.

But he was back and played the full 90 minutes against Brentford at the start of December and should be fit to play a part against Guardiola’s side on Saturday.

Leon Bailey is also back as the winger returned to full fitness from a "very small injury" sustained in Villa’s 1-0 win over Southampton on December 7.

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Emery confirmed in his Friday press-conference that the pair would be in the squad, and noted that midfielder Jacob Ramsey was "progressing well".

"Mings and Bailey are in the squad tomorrow," said Emery. "Not Jacob Ramsey because he is still progressing well, but he is not yet available. He is close to starting training with us."

Tierney ready; Rice and Calafiori in squad

For Mikel Arteta, it is a second meeting with Crystal Palace in four days after knocking the south London side out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

The Spaniard allayed fears that Kieran Tierney’s substitution at the Emirates was anything serious, confirming the full-back was only suffering from cramp on his first appearance since Euro 2024.

Declan Rice missed the cup clash, with Arteta saying that the England international "felt something" in their last Premier League outing, at home to Everton, and had to be substituted.

Riccardo Calafiori was not involved at the Emirates midweek either, but Arteta confirmed both he and Rice had a chance of featuring at Selhurst Park.

"They are both available to be in the squad," he said of Rice and Calafiori in his press conference on Friday. "Zinchenko probably available as well."

The Italy international is closing in on a return from a groin injury that has seen him miss Arsenal’s last five matches.

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Felix and Lavia available for Maresca

After confirming top spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League table on Thursday with a perfect record, Chelsea travel to Goodison Park on Sunday hoping to leapfrog Liverpool at the Premier League summit - at least for a few hours.

As Enzo Maresca revealed after his side’s 2-1 win over Brentford last weekend, Joao Felix and Romeo Lavia should be in contention to make the squad for their trip to Merseyside.

But the head coach has injury issues to contend with at the back, with Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile all sidelined.

This is compounded by Marc Cucurella’s suspension, after the full-back was sent off at the end of Chelsea’s victory over Brentford last time out in the league.

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Lindelof and Mount setbacks blow to Amorim

With Ruben Amorim implementing a three-at-the-back system since his arrival at Old Trafford, there were hopes Victor Lindelof would get an opportunity to impress after an injury-hit Manchester United career.

The Sweden international was out for a month due to a groin problem sustained on international duty in mid-November, and came off the bench in United’s 2-1 win over Manchester City.

But after starting United’s 4-3 defeat to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on Thursday, the centre-half could not last until half-time before limping off down the tunnel accompanied by a physio.

United are continuing to assess his condition ahead of the visit of Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday, while Luke Shaw and Mason Mount are expected to miss the fixture.

Matthijs de Ligt could be in contention to start in Lindelof’s absence, with the Dutchman ruled out of their defeat at the London Stadium only through illness.

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On Mount, who also missed the whole of October and much of November through injury, Amorim confirmed on Friday that he would be out for "weeks" with a muscular problem.

"Several weeks," said Amorim when asked how long the playmaker would be sidelined. "I don't know the exact date but it's going to be for long and that's it. That's part of football, you continue."

And despite leaving out Marcus Rashford from United's EFL Cup quarter-final squad, Amorim confirmed that he would be available for selection.

Slot tight-lipped on Konate and Bradley return

Arne Slot travel to the capital on Sunday to take on Tottenham Hotspur, boasting almost a full clean slate of health in his squad.

With the previously absent trio of Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa and Kostas Tsimikas coming off the bench in The Reds’ 2-1 midweek win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup, only Connor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate remain in the treatment room.

Andy Robertson has served his one-match ban for the red card he picked up against Fulham, but Bradley and Konate’s recovery timescale is, as of yet, unknown.

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Slot said in his Friday press conference that "they are on their way back, but they don't train with the team yet."

And added when asked about a return date: "That is quite difficult [to say]. Jota I thought would have been back earlier but sometimes the end stage of rehab takes longer, sometimes they join [training] and then they are not completely ready to start."

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