Uzbekistan journalist provides truth on Abdukodir Khusanov’s Manchester City situation after recent dropout | OneFootball

Abdukodir Khusanov’s recent dropout of Manchester City’s starting line-up has now been explained by a journalist from his native Uzbekistan this week.

The 21-year-old was Manchester City’s second recruit of a busy January transfer window, joining Pep Guardiola’s operation from RC Lens in a big-money move that marked the start of somewhat of an expected squad overhaul in 2025.

Following a difficult debut performance against Chelsea in the Premier League, the Uzbek centre-back went on to put in stellar defensive showings against the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Tottenham across the central role and at right-back.

However, since then, a resurgence of fellow Manchester City teammates has left Khusanov out of the starting line-up for a string of games and forced only a place among the substitutes alongside fellow January defensive signing, Vitor Reis.

The sudden drop out from the line-up has also sparked doubts over whether there is external reasoning behind the youngster’s exit from Pep Guardiola’s line-up plans, all of which have now been rejected by national media.

Speaking in recent comments relayed on social media, Uzbek journalist Davron Fayziev has stated, “Let me clarify; there’s no personal or professional conflict with Guardiola. Pep continues to give him attention during training, offering tactical guidance.

“His trust in Khusanov hasn’t faded. Physically, Khusanov is in good shape, there’s no drop in performance. The reason he hasn’t been playing is simple: healthy competition. [Nico] O’Reilly has recently performed excellently on the left, scoring, providing assists.

“As a result, Joško Gvardiol moved to the centre, while Rúben Dias continues as the central right defender and team leader. Since adopting this set-up, the club has been on a winning streak. Most managers – not just Pep – avoid making changes to a successful line-up, especially in defence.”

Fayziev continued, “Moreover, at this stage of the season, every point matters – any dropped points could cost Manchester City a place in the Champions League. If the team wins and the defence performs well, the same players will likely start the next match. This is normal.

“Khusanov will get his chance, trust me. His attitude remains positive, he’s waiting patiently. Sure, reading fake news might get him down, but he doesn’t read them. You shouldn’t either – follow only reliable sources.”

Given the strength of Khusanov’s teammates currently deemed undroppable by Pep Guardiola, it remains to be seen when the Uzbekistan international could next be integrated back into the starting line-up.

Manchester City travel to Wembley Stadium on Sunday afternoon as they look to reach their third consecutive FA Cup final with Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flying Nottingham Forest side the opponents.