Man City handed huge injury boost ahead of decisive week
- Ruben Dias is on his way back from a muscular injury
- Man City have missed the talismanic centre-back
- Dias' potential return coincides with a run of crucial fixtures
Manchester City centre-back Ruben Dias has been spotted back in training after a spell on the sidelines through injury, with his potential return coming ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.
Dias has been nursing a muscular issue for the past month, last appearing in the club's late defeat to city rivals Manchester United in mid-December. City enjoyed a mini-revival after Christmas, stringing together three consecutive victories with performances that weren't all entirely convincing, before falling to a calamitous 2-2 draw with Brentford on Tuesday night.
City led 2-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium with less than ten minutes remaining but still conspired to emerge without all three points. The defending champions have already shipped 29 league goals - as many as Arsenal conceded across the entirety of last season.
At the time of Dias' absence, Pep Guardiola predicted that he would be without his centre-back for "three or four weeks". That rough recovery period has elapsed and the imposing defender participated in first-team training on Wednesday with the players who didn't start the draw with Brentford.
Dias' arrival cannot come soon enough for City. The Sky Blues travel to newly promoted Ipswich Town on Sunday before venturing to the French capital for a crucial Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain. Both modern European giants are flirting with the distinct possibility on failing to qualify for the competition's knockout stages.
After that continental clash, City return to domestic duties with a visit from high-flying Chelsea on Saturday, 25 January.
Guardiola has always maintained that the simple solution to City's fragility would always be a return to fitness for his fleet of injured players. Dias has been sharing the treatment room with fellow first-choice centre-back John Stones and the reigning Ballon d'Or holder Rodri.
Aside from relying solely upon the club's medical department, City have turned to the transfer market in a bid to strengthen their backline.
Abdukodir Khusanov is poised to arrive from Lens and a deal has also been agreed for Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis. The young centre-backs have a combined age of 39 and will likely command a sum in the region of £70m between them.
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