Manchester City will be without Kevin De Bruyne for their Champions League game against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday after the Belgian suffered a groin injury.
After returning to his best form in recent weeks, De Bruyne sustained the knock against Everton at the weekend.
“The extent of his layoff depends on how well he responds to the rehabilitation programme overseen by the club’s medical staff,” City confirmed.
De Bruyne has begun the season in outstanding form registering nine assists as many games.
But after being substituted towards the end of Saturday’s 3-1 away win at Goodison Park, concerns were raised when he missed training on Monday. City won their Champions League opener 3-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Pep Guardiola meanwhile has dismissed suggestions he is obsessed with winning the Champions League again.
“I want to win this tournament but if I don’t, it will not change my life. I am not going to kill myself,” said Guardiola.
“In my first press conference in my first year in Manchester it was the same question – ‘you are here to win the Champions League’.
“I said ‘OK’ but I spoke a few times with Khaldoon (Al Mubarak), our chairman, and Ferran (Soriano, chief executive). They didn’t tell me that.
“They told me I came here to continue a project, to try to play good football and start to win one game, then another, and another one. Then we will see how far we get.
“Of course we are going to try but, I’m sorry, I’m not going to live the next 10 months, or next season, thinking if I don’t win the Champions League it will be a disaster in my life, because my life is quite good, every single day.”
