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Manchester City’s season has not gone as planned.

The reigning champions have struggled with injuries, inconsistency, and an uncharacteristic drop in performance.

The result?

A title defense that looks all but over.

Liverpool fans watching from the outside may not be too sympathetic.

After all, City have dominated English football for years.

But this season, things have changed.

City sit fourth in the league, far from their usual spot at the top.

Worse, their squad is thinning.

Injuries have hit hard, especially in defense.

John Stones has missed key games.

Manuel Akanji is also out.

And now, Nathan Ake has joined the list of sidelined defenders.

For Liverpool supporters, this might sound familiar.

They remember their own injury crisis in 2020/21, when a depleted backline saw them struggle to even make the top four.

The same fate could await City.

Their next game is a tough one – an away trip to Nottingham Forest.

Forest have been one of the surprises of the season.

City cannot afford another setback, but with so many key defenders out, Guardiola has a serious problem to solve.

And he knows it.

Pep Guardiola confirms defender injury timeline

At his latest press conference, the City boss confirmed Ake’s situation.

“Ten weeks, 11 weeks (out), they said to me,” Guardiola revealed.

“When you go for surgery, it’s because something wrong happened.”

Ake has been playing through pain all season.

“He has struggled a lot this season with the problems in his feet.

It happens.”

Now, surgery was the only option.

With Stones and Akanji also out for most of the season, Guardiola admitted his side are not in an ideal position.

But he remained pragmatic about City’s league standing.

“It will not be the end of the world if we’re not going to qualify for the Champions League,” he said.

“If it doesn’t happen, it’s because we have not been good enough and the other teams deserve it.”

Despite City’s issues, Guardiola acknowledged Nottingham Forest’s strong campaign.

“If you are third in the table after 8-10 fixtures, that’s OK – but if it happens with 11 games left, and still you are third, it is because you have done really, really, really well,” he said.

He expects a difficult challenge at the City Ground.

“They defend really well, aggressive, compact and good in the transitions.”

”They are good with the long balls and the four up front are really good.
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