Pep Guardiola expects Aymeric Laporte to be out for a significant period, explaining the Manchester City defender's injury "does not look good".

Laporte left the field on a stretcher after suffering a knee problem 34 minutes into City's 4-0 home Premier League victory at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

The defender, who was called up to the France squad this week, appeared to sustain the injury when he collided with Adam Webster in a challenge for which he was booked.

After the match, Guardiola was waiting for news from the club doctor but suggested Laporte, 25, had been taken to hospital and was likely set for a long spell on the sidelines.

"I think he's gone to hospital," City boss Guardiola said of Laporte, who was replaced by Fernandinho. 

"It doesn't look good. I don't know right now what he has but we will know [Sunday]. They are diagnosing what he has right now and I'm waiting for the doctor to call me.

"He might be out for a while."

Laporte's injury leaves Nicolas Otamendi as the only fit senior centre-back on City's books, with John Stones not fully recovered from a thigh problem heading into the Champions League group stages.