Guardiola comments on Khusanov's injury

Abduqodir Khusanov sustained an injury that forced him off the pitch in the English Premier League’s fifth round match between Arsenal and Manchester City. As a result, he will miss his team’s next three games, Manchester City’s head coach Pep Guardiola announced.

Today, September 24, Manchester City will face Huddersfield in the English Cup. Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Guardiola hinted at making several rotations for the game. He also confirmed that Khusanov, who picked up a minor injury against Arsenal, will not be available.

’’I think he will miss the next three matches,’’ the coach said.

The head coach also shared warm remarks about the Uzbekistan national team player.

’’He can play either in central positions or across almost the entire defensive line. The only area I think is slightly uncomfortable for him is the left side. Abduqodir has excellent vision on the pitch, is physically strong, reliable, and in some ways reminds me of Kyle Walker.

Most importantly, he is eager to learn and fully focused on improvement. Despite his young age, he has already moved from Uzbekistan to France and then to England. The adaptation process was not easy, but covering such a path within a single season has given him valuable experience.

He is quickly mastering our style and tactical schemes, and is developing into an outstanding player. His future is bright, and he will serve Manchester City for many years,’’ Guardiola said.

Manchester City are scheduled to face Burnley in the Premier League on September 27 and Monaco in the Champions League on the night of October 1–2.

Earlier, it was reported that Uzbekistan national team goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov sustained a serious injury in the CAFA Nations Cup final.