Ruben Dias was once again left out of the matchday squad in Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Chelsea on Thursday as he’s still recovering from a thigh injury, but the 25-year-old may struggle for playing time upon his return as John Stones has made the position his own.
The 28-year-old was outstanding for England at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has continued to impress for City since the domestic season resumed, so he isn’t going to relinquish his place any time soon. Stones was excellent in the win over Chelsea and Pep Guardiola’s first-choice right-sided centre-back.
Dias has made 19 appearances in all competitions this season, featuring in five of City’s six Champions League group games and 10 of their first 11 league outings before being dropped. He’s missed three games due to injury but hasn’t started since October, so Dias has been out of the loop for months.
The Portuguese international was ruled out for a month back in mid-December, so he could miss City’s FA Cup meeting with Chelsea (January 8), EFL Cup clash with Southampton (January 11) and their Premier League meetings with Manchester United (January 14), Tottenham Hotspur (January 19) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (January 22).
In other news, John Stones impresses against Chelsea
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