The pair were injured while on international duty with England and looked set to be last-minute fitness decisions, but on Friday afternoon the City boss ruled both out of contention for the Etihad clash.

In brighter news for the Spaniard, Jack Grealish was back on the training ground and looks set to be available for the first time in a month. And there was a further encouraging development as Ederson also trained with team-mates and is in contention to make a quicker-than-anticipated recovery from the thigh injury he suffered against Liverpool earlier this month. Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne has received a clean bill of health after skipping international duty with Belgium with a groin issue.

Speaking to the press on Friday, Guardiola was unable to give a timeline on either of his defender’s recoveries: “Kyle’s is more tough than John’s but they will be out. I don’t know for how many games.”

The manager did however describe Ederson’s fitness as “much better” and confirmed that Manuel Akanji was fit.

City’s slew of injuries could barely have come at a worse time as Guardiola’s men head into a hectic period of seven games in 21 days, including a titanic Champions League tie with Real Madrid and an FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea.

In the past, Guardiola has been reluctant to use his full complement of substitutes or the fringes of his squad at the business end of the season. But he may be forced to manage his resources carefully with his squad stretched in several areas. Midfielder Matheus Nunes is another player who is deemed doubtful.

All eyes will be on the team sheets on Sunday afternoon to see what solutions Guardiola can conjure as his side face the Gunners in a clash that could go a long way to defining how this season’s Premier League title fight plays out.