Manchester City midfielder Matheus Nunes has put his name forward to replace the injured Rodri.
Following his high-profile move from Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Etihad Stadium last summer, Nunes has had a difficult time.
In all competitions, the Portugal international has only made 15 starts and 19 substitute appearances; Pep Guardiola immediately lost interest in him once he arrived.
The 26-year-old will, however, probably be utilized more regularly going forward as top player Rodri is expected to miss a significant amount of time due to a knee injury.
The idea is that the Euro 2024 will miss the rest of the season, though City has not yet confirmed how long he will be out.
Guardiola has plenty of options in the engine room, but neither the largest squad nor an exact substitute will be available to him until the January transfer window.
Nunes ready to build on Watford game
Nunes was named in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s EFL Cup match against Watford, as was to be expected. He scored the second goal as a significantly improved City team defeated the Hornets 2-1.
Prior to that performance, Nunes has only played 78 minutes over four substitute appearances. It is likely that Nunes will return to the bench for Saturday’s Premier League match against Newcastle United.
However, Nunes has presented his credentials in the engine room, making it known to the public that he was used in a midfield role with greater defensive emphasis when he was a member of Sporting Lisbon.
According to Sky Sports News, Nunes stated: “I played more as a winger at Wolves and more as a 10 here last year, but I always played as the double pivot for Sporting, so I’m used to every position now.
“Every time the coach puts me on the field, I strive to help the team, but I know the other players are ready too because our squad is so talented.
“We’re going to have to fill the void because it’s a massive loss but whoever is on the pitch is going to perform well. We have shown that if any player is out we have another one that is ready and has top quality to play.”
Is Guardiola likely to listen to Nunes?
In the big picture, Nunes will have to play more minutes than he had planned because Rodri is healthy and available.
But he might not be favored above Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Rico Lewis, or John Stones—especially if they are going to assume Rodri’s position.
Conversely, a spot may become available in the most offensive midfield two or three, contingent upon the health of other players.
Leave a Reply