Manchester City picked up a hard fought win over Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon, as they came from behind to win by a score of 3-2 at St. James’ Park.

Despite this, the outing wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Citizens. One of their star players, Ederson, picked up an injury early on in the game and was forced off the pitch. Currently, the extent of his injury is unknown – City fans will be praying for a swift recovery.

In his post-match press conference, regarding Ederson, Guardiola said [via LiverpoolWorld]: “He had a big knock. I didn’t speak with the doctors. He didn’t walk well as he left the pitch but if it is just a knock he will be fine because we have a break for 10 days. If there is some damage, the doctors will tell me.”

How much would Manchester City miss Ederson if he is ruled out long-term?

Losing Ederson for a significant amount of time would be a major blow to City and their title chances. While he is rarely called into action, given the Sky Blues’ excellent backline and defensive mettle in midfield, he rarely puts a glove wrong between the sticks.

Ortega is certainly no slouch, with solid technical ability for a ‘keeper and possessing the ability to pull off spectacular saves, but he is not on the same level as the Brazilian shot-stopper.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that Ederson is not enjoying the best season of his career presently. He has only mustered a save percentage of 64.7% in 2023/24, putting him below the likes of Thomas Kaminski, Andre Onana and Matt Turner in that category [via FBref]. He is not irreplaceable – but finding another player of his calibre with just two weeks remaining in the January transfer window will be an herculean task.