Man City injury news: Games Josko Gvardiol will miss as major blow is confirmed

Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol is set for a significant spell on the sidelines after sustaining a tibial fracture in last weekend’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Chelsea.

The 23-year-old was making his 16th top-flight appearance of the season for the Citizens when he went down under a challenge from Chelsea’s Cole Palmer before receiving treatment on the pitch.

Gvardiol was unable to walk and had to be helped off the pitch six minutes after half time when Man City were leading by one goal, before Enzo Fernandez cancelled out Tijjani Reijnders’s earlier strike with a 94th-minute equaliser.

Ruben Dias was also withdrawn against Chelsea with an unspecified muscle problem, while fellow defender John Stones has been out since December and is facing “many months” on the sidelines.

“It doesn’t look good for [Gvardiol] or Ruben,” manager Pep Guardiola told reporters after the match.

“Of course we have a lot [of injuries]. John Stones is missing for many months; Ruben will be out and Josko will be out. Always we know with Nathan [Ake] that he cannot play regularly.

“After what happened last season, if we stay strong we will find a solution and the spirit will be there. If the spirit is there, we will be there.”

Gvardiol could miss rest of season with tibial fracture

In a statement, Man City confirm that Gvardiol “will have surgery later this week and assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis.”

Gvardiol has taken to X following confirmation of his injury, saying: "This is a hard moment, but it will never define me. I know who I am and where I come from. To the Cityzens, thank you for your endless support. I love you, and I’ll fight every day to return stronger, as a City warrior."

He added: "My heart beats for Croatia. Always! I will rise again, better than ever! For my club. For my brothers at club and national level. For my people. For Croatia."

Gvardiol’s setback comes as a major blow for Man City, who are also having to cope without Mateo Kovacic, Nico Gonzalez, Savinho and Oscar Bobb due to injury, while both Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

His expected recovery time remains unknown at present, but the recovery time for a tibia (shinbone) fracture typically takes four to six months to heal completely, meaning that the defender is in danger of missing the rest of the season.

Man City have a minimum of 25 matches across all competitions before the season comes to a close, including 18 fixtures in the Premier League - Guardiola’s side welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the Etihad for the first of those on Wednesday night.

The Citizens will face Exeter City in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, while they will also soon prepare for a two-legged EFL Cup semi-final tie with Newcastle United across January and February.

Gvardiol set to miss key Premier League games and is a doubt for World Cup

Key Premier League matches that Gvardiol is set to miss include the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on January 17, as well as encounters with Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Newcastle in February and a potential title showdown with Arsenal in April.

The best-case scenario for Man City would see Gvardiol recovery fully at the beginning of May, with Man City travelling to Everton on May 2, before concluding the season with fixtures against Brentford, Bournemouth and Aston Villa, though a six-month layoff would see him miss all of those matches.

The Croatia international could also emerge as a doubt for the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the Checkered Ones to begin their group-stage campaign against England on June 17.

In response to Gvardiol’s injury blow, Man City have decided to recall academy graduate Max Alleyne from his loan spall at Championship club Watford, with the 20-year-old set to provide first-team competition for Nathan Ake and Abdukodir Khusanov.

Meanwhile, recent reports claim that Man City have now emerged as contenders to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi this month and are exploring a move for the 25-year-old England international.