Manchester City's Rúben Dias: Unlikely to return before May

Dias (hamstring) will not feature in Sunday's crucial Premier League clash against Arsenal and is unlikely to return before May, according to Simon Bajkowski of Manchester Evening News.

Analysis:

Dias has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury last month and his extended absence is a major concern for City heading into a title-defining stretch of fixtures. With Josko Gvardiol (fracture) and John Stones (calf) ruled out, coach Guardiola could be left with just three senior center-backs across two massive games in four days. Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi are expected to form the central defensive partnership against Arsenal, with the club hoping Dias can return in time to contribute to the final push of what remains a wide-open title race.