The head coach of the English Premier League leader, Manchester City, Josep Guardiola, clarified why Uzbek defender Abduqodir Husanov has not been in the starting lineup recently. The experienced Spanish specialist mentioned this during a conversation with journalists before the match against Wolverhampton. This was reported by City Xtra.
In his speech, Guardiola emphasized that he decided to keep Husanov on the bench due to his yellow card during the match against Bournemouth:
– "Abduqodir had a yellow card in the game against Bournemouth. In such a situation, I do not want to risk any mistakes. That’s why he was kept on the bench. In this game, we needed to apply more pressure and movement on the left flank. We pushed O’Reilly to the wing and brought Josko Gvardiol to the center. At that time, I never thought that Niko O’Reilly would spend so much time on the field. However, he fully justified my trust.
Guardiola also stressed that stability is a key factor in his decisions and team selection:
– Currently, Nunes, O’Reilly, and Gvardiol are showing stable and reliable performances in the team's defense together. The overall movements in defense are going well. The main reason for Husanov not playing is precisely this. It shows that no player in this team should think that their place in the starting lineup is guaranteed. At the same time, a player should not live with the thought that they might not play tomorrow, – added Guardiola.
It is worth noting that Manchester City will play against Wolverhampton today, May 2, in the Premier League. This match will start at 00:00 Tashkent time. We will find out whether Abduqodir Husanov will play in this game or not when the match begins.
