Manchester City have probably found a new undroppable this week and he has left Pep Guardiola with a major headache.
Abdukodir Khusanov carried out exceptionally within the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid on Tuesday evening(Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
When the ultimate whistle blew on Manchester City’s 2025/26 Champions League marketing campaign, there was a mixture of feelings contained in the Etihad Stadium. There was apparent disappointment in shedding to Real Madrid once more, however followers may very well be happy with the battle proven by this group of gamers.
Despite going a person down and 4-0 behind on combination after simply over 20 minutes, the Blues weren’t discouraged from attacking and sustained an onslaught on the Real defence. Committing such numbers to assaults meant the defence wanted to be at their greatest and one man exemplified that greater than anybody else.
Abdukodir Khusanov might have simply been disheartened when Marc Guehi arrived within the January switch window. City’s first Uzbekistan worldwide barely performed within the first half of the season resulting from harm – including Guehi to the combination was solely going to hurt his probabilities. But Ruben Dias’ misfortune gave Khusanov a glimmer of hope.
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Since then, the previous Lens defender has missed simply two Premier League matches and has excelled at centre-back. In the primary leg towards Real, he was an unlucky casualty of Pep Guardiola’s full-back experiment. While he can play at right-back, it’s clear his strengths lie in the course of defence.
On Wednesday, Khusanov was almost faultless again within the centre. His blistering tempo saved Los Blancos’ ahead line at bay for a lot of the sport. His restoration tackles have been very good and he proved Guardiola was proper to point out his religion in him. A efficiency of that high quality means his identify must be on the teamsheet this Sunday when City journey to Wembley.
But City have a long-term headache. Dias will associate Khusanov towards Arsenal this weekend with Guehi cup-tied.
Whether that partnership stays after the ultimate is one other query. Dias is the skilled head within the City defence, a part of the management group and a participant who Guardiola trusts totally.
Guehi is new to this crew and the pressures that include it. He struggled in Madrid and that was maybe the rationale Khusanov was most popular within the return leg. However, City didn’t spend £20m on a participant who would have been free in the summertime only for him to take a seat on the bench.
Guardiola stated this City crew had a vibrant future within the wake of the Real defeat. But what that future seems like is unclear.
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The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.
After January, the defence was anticipated to be Dias and Guehi with Khusanov a succesful back-up. That plan was clear after the Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle when Guardiola urged the EFL to reverse their ruling on cup-tied gamers.
“Hopefully in March, we are able to arrive with the gamers match and hopefully you possibly can persuade the Carabao Cup that Marc Guehi can play within the last,” he stated. “It’s difficult to understand that the club who make a big investment to pay one player who belongs to us and I don’t understand why he cannot play the final.
“So, hopefully we write a letter, and hopefully the Carabao Cup can perceive. He’s not in a position to play for a rule that I do not perceive why. Hopefully, they will change it.”
Guardiola could also be glad the EFL caught to their weapons ultimately. This weekend, City do not need to fret about retaining Dias, Guehi and Khusanov pleased.
After the international break, though, Guardiola has a selection dilemma: do City stick to the original plan of Dias and Guehi or do they find a way to fit Khusanov into this defence?
Playing him at right-back and starting all three defenders does not work – as the Bernabeu proved. On current form, Khusanov cannot be overlooked but how Guardiola keeps all three defenders happy will be the true test.
