Pep Guardiola confirms Ferran Torres will be out for '2 to 3 months'

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Manchester City forward Ferran Torres will be out for between two and three months with a broken metatarsal.

Torres picked up the injury playing for Spain in the UEFA Nations League finals last week. He initially hurt his foot in his side's semi-final triumph over Italy - where he scored twice in the first half.

He was eventually withdrawn just after the interval but went on to start and play 84 minutes in the final, which Spain lost to France.

After that game he underwent a scan and although it had initially been hoped that he would be back in contention in six weeks, Guardiola has since confirmed that the layoff will be significantly longer.

"Injuries can happen here, home, national team. It happens. I know the manager from Spain, he treats Ferran [Torres] as best as possible, doesn't want him to get injured. They try to take care, sometimes it happens. It happened with Kevin and Phil," he said.

"Would be better not to, but it happens. We move forward, and when he [Ferran Torres] comes back, recovers after two or three months, try to be ready."

The news is a real blow for Guardiola as Torres has shown early promise in a false nine role this season. The club are hopeful that the Spaniard can develop into a top class centre-forward and his international displays earlier this month again suggested he has the potential to do exactly that.

With Torres out of action, City are likely to continue fielding Jack Grealish or Phil Foden as the central frontman in their attacking trio.

There is plenty of fluidity no matter who is picked, but Grealish has tended to be the man selected in the middle most recently with Gabriel Jesus moving onto the wing.