Manchester City return to Premier League action this weekend when they take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester City will be hoping to apply further pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race this weekend when they travel to Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s side will be confident after picking up two huge victories against the Gunners and Liverpool in cup competitions.

As for Liam Rosenior’s men, they are enduring a difficult season, with Champions League qualification hanging in the balance and the FA Cup their last credible hope of silverware. Chelsea could be without seven first-team players for this weekend’s game. Captain Enzo Fernandez will be missing after the club imposed a two-match ban on him for comments made during the international break. The midfielder suggested he would be open to joining Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.

Former City youth player Jamie Gittens will also miss this weekend’s game having suffered a hamstring injury at the start of February. Reece James has a hamstring problem and is in a race to return before the end of the season.

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Trevoh Chalobah was carried off on a stretcher in the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The centre-back is due to return in May, as is Levi Colwill, who has been out all season with a cruciate ligament tear.

Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen has been missing since March after needing a minor operation on an injury. He may be back to feature in the matchday squad against City along with Benoit Badiashile, who has missed the last couple of games with an illness.

City’s injury picture looks a lot better with defence their only major concern. Josko Gvardiol broke his leg in the reverse fixture earlier this year and is a doubt for the World Cup.

Ruben Dias picked up a new injury on the eve of the Liverpool victory having missed the Carabao Cup final before the international break. John Stones has also picked up another knock.

On those injuries, City assistant head coach Pep Lijnders said: “Ruben got a knock in the last few minutes of training. We are assessing it.

“I think he has a scan [last Saturday] so we will have to see. John will not be long-term, I think, but he was not available for today.”

Manchester City pair Ruben Dias and John Stones were not involved in the FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool on Saturday.

Manchester City pair Ruben Dias and John Stones are not expected to be long-term absentees after they missed the FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool.

City won 4-0 against Arne Slot’s side to ease into the last four and book a return to Wembley just a fortnight on from lifting the Carabao Cup under the arch with a 2-0 success over Arsenal.

Dias missed the win over the Gunners while Stones was among the subs before pulling out of international duty with England with a knock.

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Portugal defender Dias did not link up with his country. He had been taken off at half-time in the Champions League game with Real Madrid, having not looked comfortable.

Speaking after the win over Liverpool, City assistant Pep Lijnders – who conducted media duties with manager Pep Guardiola serving a touchline ban – said Dias had picked up a knock in training.

Lijnders also said that he didn’t expect Stones’ issue to keep him out long-term as the centre back seeks to prove his fitness in the closing weeks of the campaign for both club and country ahead of the World Cup.

Josko Gvardiol remains a long-term City absentee having not played since the Premier League draw with Chelsea in January. Guardiola hopes he will be ready to return before the end of the season, although the player will also be working towards being as ready as he can for the 2026 World Cup with Croatia.

Manchester City beat Newcastle United 2-1 on Saturday night but Dan Burn had a goal controversially chalked off for offside.

Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has admitted he would have done what Ruben Dias did to him during Manchester City’s victory. The Blues were leading 2-1 thanks to a Nico O’Reilly brace when Burn looked to have equalised. However, replays showed the defender was in an offside position when he scored.

The replays also showed Dias pushing the centre-back into the offside position. This caused controversy and when asked about the incident in his post-match press conference, Eddie Howe said: “I don’t know about that rule. I haven’t seen the push, so if that is the case, then I’ll seek clarification.”

Howe also admitted he felt decisions did not go his side’s way during the match but would not blame officials for the defeat. When asked about the controversy himself, Burn was honest about what he would do if roles were reversed. “I felt sort of pushed on the back and I think maybe if I’m a little bit better with it I could probably make more of a meal of it, but I’m not great at doing that,” he said.

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“So yeah, I’ve not seen it back, but as I said, someone said that I was pushed and it’s quite hard to get back onside once you’ve been sort of pushed offside.” He later told ViaPlay: “Yes, he did [push me]. But as a defender, I do the same thing.” City’s victory meant they moved two points behind Arsenal in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta’s side could reopen a five-point gap if they beat Tottenham on Sunday. However, they will have played a game more than City.

When asked about the run-in, Pep Guardiola said: “That game today is what we are going to face in the next 11. Every game will be like that: a battle.

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“Now we have three days off. I say to them: ‘What you have to do is take a lot of caipirinhas and daiquiris in these next three days, enjoy life’, and then we make proper sessions and go to Leeds.

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The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.

“That is the proper way. If we say: ‘We win this, then Arsenal do this or Aston Villa’… [you get a] slap in the face and what you thought [would happen], the opposite happens. I know how difficult it will be. Just win the next game, keep going, never give up.

“[11] games is a lot in the Premier League. Many things are going to happen.”