Guardiola admits he shouldn’t have played this player against Chelsea

Photo: Getty images

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confessed he made a mistake by starting new signing Abdukodir Khusanov against Chelsea in their recent 3-1 victory at the Etihad.

Khusanov, who joined from Lens, struggled initially and was at fault for Chelsea’s opening goal, though he improved as the match progressed.

Reflecting on his decision, Guardiola admitted: “Khusanov should not have played; he should have taken more time. It’s not easy against Chelsea in the Premier League when you come from another country and can’t really communicate with the teammates.”

The City boss further highlighted the challenges Khusanov faced in his debut:

“He arrived without training and still has to figure out what to do and the process around it… Imagine going through what Khusanov has experienced and what happened, ‘Oh God!'”

City’s new striker, Omar Marmoush, also praised Khusanov’s efforts despite the difficult circumstances:

“Khusanov is an exceptional player, and I would like to congratulate him for his debut.”

While Chelsea took the early lead in the match, Guardiola’s City ultimately turned things around, with Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca blaming his team for failing to score a second goal early on.

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