Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola could turn to Oleksandr Zinchenko for Manchester City’s crucial double header with Hoffenheim and Liverpool, weeks after almost selling the Ukraine international.
The City boss confirmed that England International Fabian Delph will miss both games through injury while France International Benjamin Mendy is still recovering from a bruised metatarsal.
Both games are crucial with City level on points at the top of the Premier League with Liverpool while the Hoffenheim clash has taken on added importance following City’s shock defeat to Lyon in their Champions League opener.
Zinchenko, 21, was close to moving to Wolves in a £16 million deal in the summer but decided to stay and fight for his place and has impressed when starting the last two games against Oxford United and Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brighton.
Guardiola said, “Delph will not be back, Mendy is training much better but I don’t know, we cannot forget Oleks helped us a lot last season and played really good. All the players know they are part of the team. People maybe did not expect Zinchenko would play but he played good. He played good in the last game against Brighton so he deserved to play again.”
Both Mendy’s short term an long term future remain uncertain with Guardiola angered that he was three hours’ late for training last Sunday.
“He is playing really good in the last games, but it’s not about responding, he has to know it,” Guardiola said. “So the players must realise about their progression, and we can suggest to him, them, but it’s themselves.