Manchester City will head into one of the most significant Premier League fixtures of the 2025/26 season potentially without their first-choice central defender, Ruben Dias, who is set to undergo a late fitness assessment ahead of Sunday’s title showdown against Arsenal.
The Portuguese international sustained an ankle injury during City’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid, an injury that has kept him sidelined for approximately one month. In that period, Dias has missed the Carabao Cup final and was unable to represent Portugal during the international break, with his recovery timeline stretching into late April.
Beyond the Arsenal fixture, Dias is also expected to miss City’s upcoming midweek league match against Burnley. Manager Pep Guardiola will be hoping his vice-captain can return in time for the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton scheduled for the following weekend — a fixture that forms a critical part of City’s domestic treble pursuit.
Despite the loss of a player of Dias’s calibre, Manchester City have not conceded a single goal during his absence — a defensive record that speaks to the depth and organisation within Guardiola’s squad. The spell has opened the door for Uzbekistan international Abdukodir Khusanov to establish himself in English football during his debut Premier League season.
The 22-year-old has responded with a string of composed and assured displays, cementing his place in City’s starting lineup during a demanding run of fixtures. Khusanov has formed a particularly effective partnership with January arrival Marc Guehi, with the pair at the heart of City’s defence during consecutive clean sheets against Liverpool and Chelsea — two of the division’s most attack-minded sides.
In the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, where Guehi was ineligible due to cup-tie rules, Khusanov was partnered by Nathan Ake, and City again kept a clean sheet against Arsenal on that occasion. The result and performance underlined the collective defensive resilience that has sustained City’s title challenge in Dias’s absence.
Sunday’s match at the Etihad Stadium carries significant implications at the top of the Premier League table. Arsenal currently lead the standings, and a Manchester City victory would reduce that gap to just three points, with City also holding a game in hand — a scenario that would dramatically alter the complexion of the title race heading into the final weeks of the season.
For Arsenal, the fixture represents an opportunity to consolidate their position and extend their lead over the defending champions. For City, it is a chance to apply maximum pressure on the Gunners at a stage of the campaign where every result carries heightened consequence.
