According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, defender Rayan Ait-Nouri has suffered an ankle injury and will be out for about 5 weeks. Thus, he will not be able to participate in the match between Manchester City and Manchester United.

Manchester City are facing a huge blow as left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri is set to be out for around five weeks with an ankle injury, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, meaning the Algerian will be out until mid-to-late October.

Although coach Pep Guardiola did not go into details in a recent press conference, he confirmed that his student will not be able to play in the Manchester derby with Manchester United this Sunday. This is a significant loss for Manchester City, as Rayan Ait-Nouri is the team’s number one left-back, having started all three Premier League games this season. He was forced off early against Tottenham Hotspur with an ankle injury.

With a busy domestic and continental schedule, Rayan Ait-Nouri could miss up to nine important matches for “The Citizens”. He will miss the fiery Derby against Manchester United, the Champions League opener against Napoli, the difficult away trip to Arsenal, as well as matches against Huddersfield Town (Carabao Cup) and Burnley (Premier League).

October’s clashes with AS Monaco, Brentford and Everton could also be too early for Rayan Ait-Nouri to return, with the most likely targets for the Algerian’s return being the Champions League clash with Villarreal, or the trip to Aston Villa a few days later.

Barring any complications, the 24-year-old is expected to be fully fit for the clash with Liverpool at the Etihad, with his absence likely to leave manager Pep Guardiola scrambling for a replacement.