It seems that the return of Algerian international Ryan Ait Nouri to official competition with Manchester City will be delayed longer than expected, after Spanish coach Pep Guardiola announced his absence from the match against Aston Villa, scheduled for today as part of the ninth round of the Premier League, due to not fully recovering from his injury.

Despite Ait Nouri's participation in group training last week and his name being included in the team list that traveled to Spain to face Villarreal in the Champions League, Guardiola preferred to give him more time to recover, to avoid any potential setbacks.

The Spanish coach said at the press conference held the day before yesterday: "The players who were unable to play against Villarreal are still not ready to participate," referring to both Ait Nouri and his Uzbek teammate Abduqodir Khosanov, confirming that the medical staff does not want to take risks despite the noticeable improvement in the condition of the Algerian full-back.

Ait Nouri has been absent from the fields since August 31 due to an ankle injury, a absence that has represented a significant disappointment for the player who hoped to continue his strong start this season after joining Manchester City during the summer transfer window from Wolverhampton with a contract that extends until 2030.