According to former BBC pundit Noel Whelan, Ruben Dias’ injury will not affect Manchester City in their hunt for the Premier League title.
The Lowdown: Dias out for the season
The 24-year-old had previously been out of action for seven weeks after sustaining a serious hamstring injury earlier in the campaign, but suffered a fresh setback after being forced off the pitch during the Sky Blues’ emphatic 5-0 victory over Newcastle United at the weekend.
During his Magpies post-match press conference with the club media, Pep Guardiola officially confirmed that the 37-cap international had picked up a muscular problem and as a result, will miss the remainder of the season, alongside teammates John Stones and Kyle Walker.
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The Latest: Plenty of squad depth
Despite this hammer blow, Whelan believes that City still have enough squad depth to claim the top-flight title.
Following the fantastic confirmation for City fans that Erling Haaland is set to join, Whelan provided even more good news, telling Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “They have players who are capable of stepping in and doing a job at centre-half.
“Someone like Fernandinho has good amount of experience playing in that role. He is still a quality player and is still one of the best in the Premier League in my opinion. He makes the game look so easy at times.
“I’d have no problem with Fernandinho partnering Laporte back there. It is still a formidable back line. It just shows the strength in depth these teams have over the others.
“I think City are fully focused on the job in hand now. The best way to put their Champions League disappointment to bed is by winning the Champions League and they are in pole position right now.”
The Verdict: Huge loss for City
Dias not being available for selection again until pre-season will come as gutting news for the Spanish manager, who will definitely miss the Portuguese man’s presence in his starting XI.
Last season, the £75m-rated colossus was named the Premier League Player of the Year, and the Manchester outfit have kept a total of 12 clean sheets when the centre-back has been named in the side, showing just how much of a rock he can be at the heart of the defence.
Fernandinho is more than capable of filling in for his injured teammate though, having made a staggering 380 appearances for the club to date, and his experience and know-how in the backline alongside the likes of Aymeric Laporte and Joao Cancelo could be just what it takes to help City get their hands on that silverware come the end of May.
In other news… City are reportedly on the verge of announcing a brand-new signing later this week.