Manchester City is facing an increasing concern in their midfield after manager Pep Guardiola announced that Mateo Kovacic will be sidelined for approximately a month due to an undisclosed injury.

Guardiola revealed that Kovacic suffered this injury while competing for Croatia against Portugal during the Nations League, where he had to be substituted at halftime.

“Will be a while,” he commented. “Three weeks or a month.”

Kovacic’s role in the team has become more critical after Rodri, the primary holding midfielder, was confirmed to be out for the entire season following an ACL injury. With this development, it is likely that Ilkay Gundogan, at 34 years old, may need to adjust his position and play in a deeper midfield role.

On a brighter note for the defensive lineup, Guardiola mentioned that center backs John Stones and Manuel Akanji have returned to training, along with Nathan Ake being available.

“I don’t know if they’re ready to play 90 minutes, but to see their faces in the training session is really good,” Guardiola noted.

The defending Premier League champions have encountered a difficult stretch, having lost their last four matches across all competitions. Their upcoming fixture is against Tottenham at home in the Premier League on Saturday.

As it stands, Manchester City is currently positioned second in the league, trailing five points behind Liverpool.