Nico Gonzalez, the new addition to Manchester City, suffered an injury during his debut on Saturday, leading to his substitution after just 22 minutes.
The midfielder, who transferred from Porto for an estimated $61.8 million on transfer deadline day, appeared to sustain rib injuries following a fall during a challenge with Leyton Orient’s Sonny Perkins.
After receiving medical attention on the field, Gonzalez was seen clutching his side as he headed off early in the FA Cup fourth-round match at Brisbane Road.

City manager Pep Guardiola expressed concern, noting that Gonzalez quickly grasped the intensity of the Premier League.
“I don’t know how serious the injury is, but he wasn’t able to continue,” Guardiola mentioned, highlighting the potential implications of the injury just days before their Champions League playoff against Real Madrid.

The acquisition of Gonzalez was aimed at filling the gap left by star player Rodri, who has been sidelined since September due to an ACL injury.
Without Rodri, Manchester City’s defense of their Premier League title has faltered, and they now face the critical challenge of defeating the holders, Real Madrid, in a two-legged playoff to secure a place in the Champions League round of 16.

Gonzalez was part of a broader strategy during the January transfer window, with Guardiola making five signings to help revive their season.
The club invested over $200 million in new talent, including the addition of Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush for $73 million, as well as defenders Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Vitor Reis for a combined total of $77 million.
Young left-back Christian McFarlane also joined from sister club New York City FC, while captain Kyle Walker made his move to AC Milan.

Despite the injury setbacks, Manchester City managed to rally from a goal down during the match and emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline, allowing them to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.