Manchester City injury list grows to five as attacking midfielder absent from Aston Villa travelling squad

Pep Guardiola has been handed a fifth injury to his first-team squad prior to the meeting with Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, the Club have confirmed.

Manchester City travel to the Midlands hoping to make amends for a torrid performance last time out against Manchester United, with Guardiola’s players collapsing in the final 10 minutes to throw away a 1-0 lead to lose 1-2.

Josko Gvardiol had put the Premier League champions ahead in a lead that would hold until the 86th minute, when Bruno Fernandes would convert from the penalty spot, only to be added to by Amad Diallo’s stunning individual effort.

Manchester City have won just one game in their last 11 matches and much of the bad run of form has been put down to a revolving door in and out of the treatment room as Pep Guardiola’s struggles with fitness and injury problems mount.

Matters have not improved much this week either despite Manuel Akanji and John Stones returning to training, and Nathan Ake being present in Manchester City’s matchday squad list to face Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

Ruben Dias was ruled out of action for up to a month with a muscle problem sustained midway through the second-half against Manchester United by Pep Guardiola, whilst Ederson has been suffering from “niggles” in his leg that have prevented him from being involved this weekend.

And the latest issue to be handed to Manchester City comes through Matheus Nunes, who has picked up an injury over the last week which has excluded him from Pep Guardiola’s matchday squad at Villa Park.

It rounds off a difficult week for the Portuguese international, who had been finding a run of opportunities in the Manchester City line-up and providing assists aplenty for the attacking line in matches that the Etihad club have managed to find some success.

However, Nunes may now find himself at the back of Guardiola’s thinking after costing his side last time out by giving away a penalty against Manchester United, only to now succumb to a fitness problem.

Matheus Nunes not only joins Ederson and Ruben Dias in the recovery room, but also stands alongside long-term absences in Rodri and Oscar Bobb – who are not expected back any time in the near future.