Man City faces a major setback ahead of their match against Aston Villa, with five key players ruled out.

Pep Guardiola will be without five crucial players for Manchester City’s Saturday lunchtime clash against Aston Villa, dealing a significant blow to the reigning champions.

Guardiola, 53, aims to recover from last weekend’s 2-1 defeat in the Manchester derby and end City’s poor run of form. The match in Birmingham offers an opportunity for the champions to bounce back, as they have won only once in their last 11 matches across all competitions.

However, City’s recent record against Aston Villa may provide some hope for their traveling supporters. Villa has beaten City just once in their last 17 encounters, a 1-0 victory in December 2023.

Ahead of the match, City will be without Rodri, Oscar Bobb, and Nathan Ake, who remain sidelined. Goalkeeper Ederson is also a major doubt, while Ruben Dias is expected to miss three to four weeks with a muscular injury, confirmed by Guardiola during Friday’s press conference.

“Ruben [Dias] is out for a long time, and Ederson, I don’t know if he will be ready tomorrow,” Guardiola said.

“[On Dias] Three or four weeks. Muscular. [He played] 75 minutes against United. He felt something but is so strong he wanted to stay on the pitch.”

There is some positive news, though, as Manuel Akanji and John Stones have returned to full training, which could strengthen City’s defence in the coming weeks. However, Guardiola remains uncertain if they will start against Villa.

“I don’t know yet [if they can start against Aston Villa],” he admitted. “Yesterday was their first proper training session after a long time out.”

Rico Lewis, who missed the Manchester derby due to suspension, will be available for selection.

Despite the challenging period, Guardiola expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to recover.

“I handle good moments and bad ones,” he said.

“These 40 days have been tough, but compared to eight years, it’s a small period. I know we can get a good result and see the team coming back, and that is wha

t we want to do.”