Pep Guardiola will be without two players when Manchester City host Liverpool at the Etihad this afternoon.
It appears that Liverpool will have their full squad available for the top-of-the-table clash, giving manager Jurgen Klopp several selection headaches ahead of kick-off. However, his opposite number Guardiola has already confirmed he will be without two of his players.
One of those is centre-back Ruben Dias, who suffered a hamstring injury against Peterborough United in the FA Cup last month. The Portugal international has missed City's last seven games as a result and Guardiola shared that the defender had not recovered in time to feature against Liverpool.
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"Everyone is fit, but not Ruben. I don't know [how long he will be out],” the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said, as reported by Manchester Evening News . “The doctor said four to six weeks and I think it's four [speaking on April 1]. He needs 10 more days or two more weeks."
Aymeric Laporte and John Stones will likely be the partnership that Guardiola opts for in Dias’ absence but the Spanish coach will also be missing one of City’s top youth prospects. Cole Palmer has made 10 appearances across all competitions this season and had been a mainstay in the club’s matchday squad before suffering a foot injury in January.
"He has had two comebacks, but he is still not clean in the process and it is painful,” Guardiola continued. “We have to take a decision over what to do. At the end we have to take a decision on what we have to do, because it has been a long time that has been unable to take a step forward."
A single point separates City and Liverpool in the Premier League. So if the Reds make it 11 straight wins today, they will go two points above the defending champions, who were 14 points clear at the top at one stage in January.
