Abdukodir Khusanov battling with injury in a ‘dangerous, dangerous position’, admits Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov will remain unavailable for selection for Sunday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa, Pep Guardiola has confirmed.

Khusanov sustained an injury in the first-half of Manchester City’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal in September and is yet to return to training, having missed the Blues’ trip to Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.

The 21-year-old has impressed since joining City from RC Lens in January and is expected to be a key player for Pep Guardiola in the seasons to come alongside on-loan defender Vitor Reis, who was also signed from Palmeiras midway through the recent campaign.

Manchester City’s decision to not sign a like-for-like replacement for Kyle Walker in the recent transfer window heavily hinged on Khusanov, who has impressed with his stellar displays at right-back since his arrival to England.

The Uzbekistan international made a horror start to life in a Manchester City shirt as he gave away a goal five minutes into his full Premier League debut – less than a week into his arrival to the club from France in January – in a 3-1 win over Chelsea.

Khusanov compounded that error with another challenge on former City man Cole Palmer as he received a yellow card for denying the Chelsea forward a clear goalscoring chance – further underpinning the early doubts over the Manchester City defender.

However, the young centre-half turned a corner as the season progressed and was a key player for Guardiola in Manchester City’s run to a third-place Premier League finish last term as he adapted to life in England and the demands of the Premier League.

City conducted a major overhaul of their first-team squad in the recent summer transfer window and Khusanov – unlike Reis, who was sent on loan to Girona for the season – made the cut and is expected to continue to play a focal role as the Blues look to fight for major trophies in the backdrop of a subpar 2024-25 campaign.

Khusanov has missed the last month of action since he went off in the first-half in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal, with Guardiola quizzed on when the Uzbek star can be expected to return to training in a press conference on Friday afternoon.

In a potentially worrying admission for Manchester City, Guardiola was not overly optimistic in his outlook on when Khusanov can return to action as full details and the extent of the Asian’s injury remain unknown.

“I think he’s close to coming back, but still I think he’s not ready. He had an injury in a dangerous, dangerous position in his body,” Guardiola said on Khusanov.

City will be aiming to keep up the pressure on title rivals and league leaders Arsenal when they face Aston Villa on Sunday, having suffered a 2-1 defeat in the fixture last term.