**Manchester City defender Nathan Ake has revealed he twisted his knee in his side’s goalless draw against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on New Year’s Day.**
The 30-year-old made only his second start in the Premier League in 11 months as Pep Guardiola handed Josko Gvardiol a chance to rest, with Ake partnering Ruben Dias in central defence against the Black Cats.
Ake has been heavily linked with a January exit from the Etihad Stadium amid interest from clubs in the Premier League and abroad as doubts heighten over the defender’s chances of making the Netherlands squad for the FIFA World Cup this summer.
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has made it clear to Ake that he needs to play regularly at club level to stake a claim for his nation, with pressure rising on the injury-riddled Manchester City star to explore an exit in the ongoing transfer window.
A significant portion of Ake’s minutes under Guardiola this season have come in cup competitions, with the Manchester City manager placing his faith in Dias and Gvardiol – the pair of whom have forged a reliable partnership at centre-back since the back-end of the 2024-25 season.
Ake joined Manchester City from Bournemouth in 2020 and after being largely a squad player in his first two campaigns at the Etihad Stadium, the Dutchman played a starring role in the Blues’ domestic and European success in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Manchester City overhauled their first-team ranks in the 2025 summer transfer window as director of football Hugo Viana ushered in a new era by signing off on the exits of several new stars and recruiting seven new players to arm Guardiola with fresh ammunition to challenge for silverware in the seasons to come.
City sanctioned a loan deal for Manuel Akanji to join Inter Milan on a season-long loan in the final week of the summer transfer window, with Brazilian teenager Vitor Reis also sent to sister club Girona – who fall under the CFG umbrella – to progress his development with regular opportunities in the Spanish top-flight.
The Blues are fighting a formidable Arsenal side for what would be a fifth Premier League title in six seasons for Guardiola and City, who were held to a goalless draw by Sunderland in midweek as their winning run was halted to eight games in all competitions.
The trip to the east Midlands saw Ake made a rare start in defence, with the defender revealing in conversation with [Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News](https://x.com/spbajko/status/2007351219904283056?s=20) that he played through injury for most of the game.
“I twisted my knee and felt something weird the whole game actually every time I passed. We’ll see but I think if you can carry on for 90 minutes it should be fine,” Ake said.
It remains to be seen whether the Netherlands international will be fit to contest for a starting place when Manchester City welcome Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium as they look to return to winning ways – after Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points this week.