Report Claims Man City Star Leroy Sane Will Be Out for 3 Months After Confirmed Ligament Damage

Manchester City winger Leroy Sane will be out of action for at least three months after suffering ankle ligament damage in Sunday's FA Cup at Cardiff, according to French publication L'Equipe.

Sane was substituted at half time after picking up the injury following a late challenge from Cardiff defender Joe Bennett.

City confirmed the injury on Monday, and though the club did not put a timescale on the German's absence, L'Equipe claim the German international will be out for at least three months.

The 22-year-old has been hugely influential for Pep Guardiola's side this season, scoring eleven goals in league and cup and recording a Premier League ten assists, a record he shares with teammate Kevin De Bruyne.

Bennett only received a yellow card for the tackle, though he was later sent off for a second yellow after a later challenge on City substitute Brahim Diaz.

Following the match City manager Pep Guardiola hit out at the officials for failing to protect players, saying: “They [refs] are there to protect the players. When there is fault, there is fault, and when it is dangerous, it is dangerous.

“I don’t understand the goal [Bernardo] that we didn’t get, but that is okay. We can accept that. But they have to protect the players. They have to do their job."

First half goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling secured a comfortable 2-0 win for City to give them a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup, where they will travel to League One Wigan Athletic, who they famously lost to in the 2013 final of the competition.