Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte is set to miss the first month of the season after having knee surgery in the summer.
Pep Guardiola confirmed the Spanish defender played through the pain barrier at the end of last season to help Man City secure the Premier League title.
New signings Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips and Julian Alvarez are all available for Saturday's curtain-raiser against Liverpool in the Community Shield.
What did Guardiola say?
"Laporte is injured," the Man City boss told a news conference. "He had knee surgery after last season, played the last two or three games with an important injury and made an incredible effort.
"He had surgery, so far is doing really well but you have to be careful with a knee. I think through August he will be out, September I think maybe he will start to be with us."
Can Man City cover his absence?
Resources were stretched at the end of last season in the centre of defence with Ruben Dias, John Stones and Nathan Ake all missing through injuries.
Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho was pressed into action as a emergency centre-back as Guardiola had no other options.
Both Ake and Dias started Man City's final pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich while Stones was in Croatia after failing to meet entry requirements to the United States.
Any other defensive issues?
Guardiola is without a senior left-back after Oleks Zinchenko joined Arsenal in the summer.
Promising academy star Josh Wilson-Esbrand could start against Liverpool after impressing on the tour to the US.
City are still chasing a replacement for Zinchenko but Guardiola refused to be drawn on a move for Brighton's Marc Cucurella despite reports that he has handed in a transfer request.
"He is a Brighton player, I cannot say anything else," he said.
On adding a left-back, he added: "If it is possible yes if not we stay with what we have. We have enough players who can play there. I never complain about the squad I have."
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