Manchester City reporter reveals inside track on Abdukodir Khusanov following sudden exit from starting line-up picture | OneFootball

Abdukodir Khusanov has found it difficult to emerge into Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City starting line-ups of late and a new report has offered insight on the situation.

The Uzbekistan starlet arrived at the Etihad Stadium during the last January transfer window as club officials looked to somewhat rescue a hugely difficult season for the then-reigning Premier League champions.

Following a run of poor results across November and December that saw Manchester City all-but exit the Premier League title race, their hopes of securing UEFA Champions League football via a top-five finish were thrown into serious doubt.

As such, recruitment bosses within Manchester City deemed it necessary to invest significantly in their playing squad as part of a planned overhaul initial forecasted for the upcoming summer window.

Given the issues in defence, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis were brought in from RC Lens and Palmeiras respectively, with the former starring through outstanding performances against the likes of Real Madrid, Tottenham, and Liverpool.

But since the FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth earlier this season, Khusanov has dropped out of Pep Guardiola’s starting line-ups having done very little wrong in terms of performance, with Josko Gvardiol taking his place alongside Ruben Dias.

Now writing as part of a wide-ranging Q&A for MailSport, Manchester City insider and journalist Jack Gaughan has explained his own take on Khusanov’s sudden drop-out from the starting line-up picture at the Etihad following an impressive start.

“It seems to me that Khusanov has been a victim of circumstance a little bit. Firstly, he played significantly more games than envisaged when signing for £33 million from Lens in January,” Gaughan wrote.

He continued, “Sources have said that the 20-year-old hadn’t trained for a whole month before joining City – comprising a winter break and then not being with Will Still’s group as a transfer edged closer.

“He’d had one proper session before that debut against Chelsea but recovered exceptionally well after a tricky start. O’Reilly’s emergence at left back, and Gvardiol forming this strong partnership with Dias, has seen the Uzbek watch on since the Bournemouth game in the FA Cup at the end of March.

“He’s not played a single minute since, yet that could help his development in the long run.”

Offering insight into Khusanov’s off-field work, Gaughan revealed the Uzbekistan international is ‘working hard’ to master English with three hour-long lessons per week with a tutor from the club, before another at home online with a teacher from Tashkent.

Given the success of Pep Guardiola’s back-four consisting of Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly, the chances of seeing Khusanov back in the defensive set-up before the end of the season are looking more unlikely.

Manchester City have plenty to fight for and as such Guardiola may deem it necessary to continue with a tried and tested formula, as such seeing the starting line-up remain largely unchanged until a place in the Premier League’s top-five is solidified at a minimum.

City will also have an FA Cup crown to compete for in the next few days as they prepare to take on Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium in the final, after they clash with Southampton on the south coast on matchday 36 of the Premier League season.