Manchester City defender Ruben Dias ruled out for up to SIX WEEKS with a hamstring injury

Manchester City have been dealt a title blow with Ruben Dias facing up to six weeks out – starting with Sunday’s derby against Manchester United.

Dias sustained a hamstring injury during Tuesday’s FA Cup victory at Peterborough United and City’s fears were confirmed after tests at the club’s training base.

Pep Guardiola revealed that the 24-year-old, who makes up one-fifth of the team’s leadership group, is set for at least a month on the sidelines.

Manchester City’s Ruben Dias is set for a six week spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury

Dias will miss Sunday’s Manchester derby and is a doubt to face title rivals Liverpool in April

That raises the prospect of Dias missing a crunch title showdown with Liverpool on April 10 and potentially both legs of a Champions League quarter-final.

‘It happens every season,’ Guardiola said. ‘One of the best players – Kevin [De Bruyne] one season was out for eight months. But I’m not going to cry.

‘We have two central defenders, we have 15 players and people say we were lucky with Covid, we just play. We try to play good. Make good movements and win the game with our people.’

John Stones and Aymeric Laporte will be paired together in the absence of Dias. Nathan Ake is also struggling for fitness.

Aymeric Laporte and John Stones will be City’s centre-back partnership in Dias’s absence