Manchester City's Gvardiol sidelined by leg fracture
Manchester City has announced that defender Josko Gvardiol broke his leg during the 1-1 stalemate with Chelsea on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium.
Gvardiol and Ruben Dias, two of City's central defenders, both had to leave the field injured during the second half, shortly before Enzo Fernandez grabbed a last-minute equaliser for the away side.
The result leaves City, who sit in second position, trailing Premier League frontrunners Arsenal by six points.
Manchester City disclosed on Monday that Gvardiol has a fracture in the tibia of his right leg. In their statement, the club noted: "The defender will undergo surgery later this week, and ongoing assessments will help determine the full scope of the injury along with the anticipated recovery outlook."
Before details of the Croatia internationals injury were revealed, manager Pep Guardiola remarked that prospects for both players "do not look promising".
Information on the severity of Ruben Diass injury is still pending.
These absences compound defensive troubles for City, with John Stones sidelined for the last month due to a thigh complaint and Rayan Ait-Nouri representing Algeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Midfielder Nico Gonzalez was also absent for the Chelsea fixture, and Pep Guardiola will lack Savinho, Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovacic, and Omar Marmoush for the midweek home encounter with Brighton.
Encouragingly for City, Rodri returned to action, featuring for the entire 90 minutes against Chelsea in his first starting appearance since October.
The pivotal midfielder has endured various complications, most recently a hamstring strain, during his rehabilitation from the serious knee damage that excluded him from most of the previous campaign.
"It has been an awful, awful period for me," the Spain international shared. "All that is happening now feels like a blessing, every moment on the field brings me pure delight.
"I am grateful to God for this fresh chance to savour my career and regain my happiness."