Guardiola: Laporte to miss 3-4 weeks with hamstring injury

Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte is expected to miss three-to-four weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in the last-16 clash against Real Madrid earlier this week, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed Friday, reports BBC Sport.

The French defender, who’d recently returned from a serious knee injury, limped out of City’s 2-1 Champions League win in Madrid on Wednesday. It was only his eighth appearance of the season.

“He has a hamstring injury, three weeks out, more or less a month,” Guardiola told reporters. “Unfortunately this happens after four or five months out.”

Laporte, 25, underwent surgery in September to repair cartilage and lateral meniscus damage in his right knee.

He returned to action in January and was being eased back into the rotation; the match against Real Madrid was just his fourth appearance since rejoining the squad.

Guardiola, who’s described Laporte as the “best left-sided central defender in the world,” admitted after the crucial midweek victory that it may have been a “risk” to start the Frenchman at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Laporte lasted 33 minutes before being replaced by Fernandinho, who’s been deputizing at center-back in his absence.

“Life is not easy and always in the world, the people who survive are the ones who cope with the bad moments,” Guardiola added.

“It is what it is. Accept it, work hard to come back as soon as possible.”

The three-to-four week timeline means Laporte will miss the upcoming derby against Manchester United and will likely sit out the return Champions League fixture versus Real Madrid on March 17. Barring a setback, he should be fit for the league clash with Liverpool and the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals if City get there.