Manchester City suffered a major setback ahead of their Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, with Ruben Dias missing the opening game at Wembley due to injury.
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The Portuguese centre-back’s absence immediately raised questions about Pep Guardiola’s defensive options, especially against an Arsenal side arriving with speed and attacking fluidity.
What happened to Ruben Diaz before the final?
According to The Athletic’s Sam Lee, the issue is due to a hamstring issue he suffered earlier this week.
“Manchester City centre-back Ruben Dias will miss the Carabao Cup final due to a hamstring injury.
The 28-year-old came on as a substitute in the Premier League away game against West Ham at the weekend and was substituted at half-time in Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
Diaz missed eight games with a hamstring injury earlier this year, but returned in early February. He has not been called up by Portugal national team coach Roberto Martinez for the upcoming match against Mexico and the friendly against the United States.
City will already be without starting centre-back Marc Gehi. The 25-year-old, who joined City in January, has already played in the competition for his former club Crystal Palace, qualifying for the cup.
Pep Guardiola will also be without fellow defender Josko Gvardiol, who is still recovering from a broken foot he suffered in January. ”
The 28-year-old’s latest setback comes as he continues to be plagued by fitness issues this year, with the Portugal international already missing the start of the season with a similar problem.
Man City were forced to reorganize their defense against Arsenal
Dias’ absence leaves Guardiola without reliable options in central defense, forcing him to reshuffle his backline ahead of one of the biggest games of the season.
When Manchester City’s squad for the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal was confirmed, with Phil Foden only on the bench and Erling Haaland and Rodri starting at Wembley, the strength of the rest of the squad was highlighted despite the defensive concerns.
Yet while it would have been unthinkable not too long ago for a big name like Foden to be on the bench for such a big game, the bigger talking point remains the missing number three at the heart of the defence.
Arsenal were also missing the key duo of Eberechi Eze and Julian Timber, but manager Mikel Arteta still named a competitive XI to take advantage of City’s weakened backline.
With the first trophy of the season on the line, Dias’ absence ultimately dictated the tactical battle from the start, leaving City more vulnerable than usual in high-stakes situations.
