VIEWS: This week’s international duty for four Man City players presents a chance to establish themselves.
VIEWS: This week’s international duty for four Man City players presents a chance to establish themselves.
Five further injuries were reported this week, bringing the total number of injured Manchester City players to eight.
Rodri was the most recent player to cause City anxiety on Thursday when he was omitted from Spain’s match against Cyprus due to ‘discomfort,’ according to sources. If hurt, he would join Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic, Ederson, and Nathan Ake in missing this week’s games.
John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne, and Sergio Gomez were already on the injury list; if Rodri is sidelined, City will have just 12 outfield players available for their match against Liverpool the following week.
Nonetheless, a few players are still serving their international assignments this week, and four in particular will have the opportunity to utilize their games to pressure Pep Guardiola once they return to City:
Michael Grealish
Grealish was, at least, first-choice for the major games at the beginning of the season, when Jeremy Doku took up his usual spot on the left wing.
However, last weekend, he was benched as Doku began at Chelsea. With injuries plaguing Gareth Southgate’s team, Grealish should be assured of playing time this week despite having to battle for minutes with England.
Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, and Bukayo Saka are his main rivals; there isn’t a Jude Bellingham or James Maddison.
Saka is more effective on the other wing than Rashford, and he is in better form overall. Foden might be required more centrally.
Since this is his first call-up, he is unlikely to start the two qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, but Cole Palmer could only compete with him for minutes.
Therefore, Grealish’s position for City could be strengthened if he can return in strong form and reclaim his spot on the left, even if it is against lesser opposition.
Lewis Rico
Lewis has been called up to the England senior team, so everyone will be watching to see how he performs.
He’s smashed a Champions League record, made his senior club debut, won the treble, and now appears destined to play for England in the span of just 16 months.
He has never backdown from a challenge, so don’t rule out him feeling right at home in the England lineup either.
Lewis has perhaps looked more at home in midfield for City, either playing as a number eight or inverting from right-back, so it will be intriguing to see where Southgate uses him.
Lewis is listed as a defender in the senior England team, so this could be a test of his defensive prowess.
However, playing North Macedonia or Malta would be beneficial in that aspect.
Ingrid Doku
Doku, who is presently wearing the City shirt on the left wing instead of Grealish, was sacrificed early against Chelsea and runs the risk of developing a reputation for underperforming in crucial matches.
That makes sense because he gets his flair from playing full-back, and the best full-backs are on the better teams.
Doku did not play in Belgium’s friendly match against Serbia, indicating that he will play in their crucial final qualifying match against Azerbaijan.
Belgium is aware that they need to win that match to top their qualifying group and earn a preferred draw at Euro 2024, even if the opponent may not be on the same level as the top six Premier League clubs.
In future big games, City will put more faith in him the better he performs under duress.
Gvardiol Josko.
Croatia’s automatic qualification for the Euros will depend on how well they do against Latvia and Armenia, while Wales’ matches will be against Armenia and the tournament’s top team, Turkey.
They will have to do that without Mateo Kovacic, who is injured, but they will copy City and play Josko Gvardiol at left-back, which will give him a fresh role.
Gvardiol will get more opportunities to showcase his left-back skills this week if it’s good enough for the European champions, which seems to be the case for Croatia.
Gvardiol has the opportunity to go from center back into midfield after Guardiola informed him that he isn’t yet ready to do so.
Guardiola has informed Gvardiol that he is not yet ready to move from center back into midfield.
Now, Gvardiol can demonstrate his worth by starting the important games ahead of Nathan Ake and double down at left back.
That might be even more necessary if Ake’s injury prevents him from playing in the future.
