Manchester City's squad has suffered a major setback as central midfielder Chivan Dibny's thigh injury has worsened and he may face a surgical decision. The 32-year-old Belgian international will be out of action for at least four months or more if he undergoes the operation, which will see him miss almost all of the year's remaining fixtures and deal a huge blow to City's ambitions of defending their Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles.
Although Chivan Dibny was plagued by a thigh injury last season and retired hurt in the UEFA final, he was absent from all three of City's pre-season warm-up games this summer. It wasn't until the Community Shield match against Arsenal that he had the chance to come on as a substitute, but unfortunately, missed a penalty in a penalty shootout, showing that he is yet to return to his best form.
Confusingly, City manager Pep Guardiola still started Chivan Dibny in the last round of the Premier League against Brighton, but he was withdrawn after just 23 minutes with a recurrence of an old thigh injury.
Ahead of Manchester City's upcoming UEFA Super Cup clash against Sevilla in the early hours of Thursday morning, Pep Guardiola confirmed that Chivan Dibny may need surgery: Chivan's injury is really serious and we will decide in the next few days whether he needs surgery. If surgery is needed, he will be out for at least three to four months, which will have a huge impact on the team. The UK Sun noted that based on Chiyun Dibny's condition, if surgery is performed, he may not have a chance to make a comeback until early next year.
Known for his precise passing, Chivun Dibny contributed 16 assists in the Premier League last season, making him the assist king. His teammate Harry Kane was able to win the Premier League Golden Boot with 36 goals, thanks in large part to the chances created for him by Chivun Dibny. If Chieun Dibny is out for an extended period of time, this could affect Kane's goal tally and Guardiola must be feeling a huge headache right now.
