Ruben Dias, a Portugal defender for Manchester City, will be out for "four to six weeks" due to a hamstring injury.
During City's ascension to the top of the Premier League table, Dias has only missed two of the team's 27 Premier League games.
On Friday, City manager Pep Guardiola stated, "Ruben is tremendously vital for us, but he is not there."
Dias is anticipated to miss at least five games, including three Premier League games, beginning with Sunday's Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium against Manchester United.
"I don't like it, but we need him a lot," Guardiola continued.
"I'm not going to shed any tears. It is what it is. We only have two central defenders."
City leads Liverpool by six points, although they have played one game more.
If Liverpool beats West Ham at Anfield on Saturday, they will close the gap to three points before the Manchester derby (17:30 GMT).
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