Josko Gvardiol breaks silence on positional switch in Manchester City set-up from Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s decision to revert Josko Gvardiol into the centre of his defence has been received positively by the Croatia international.

The 23-year-old was used predominantly at left-back during the 2024/25 campaign, as Pep Guardiola sought to maintain tactical balance amid injuries and dips in form across his defensive line.

However, the experiment came during a turbulent spell for the Premier League giants, who endured their first major trophyless season since 2016/17 and registered just one win in a 13-game stretch at one stage.

The decision to move Josko Gvardiol back to his natural position of left centre-back has coincided with a clear upturn in Manchester City’s defensive stability. After losing two of their opening three Premier League fixtures, Guardiola’s side are now unbeaten in nine, and the Croatian’s return to a central role has played a crucial part in improved rhythm.

The versatile defender’s positional awareness and ball-playing ability have provided the composure that Manchester City missed for large portions of the previous campaign.

Last season also proved punishing in terms of workload. Between club and international commitments, Gvardiol racked up over 6,000 minutes of competitive football, featuring in 55 of Manchester City’s 61 fixtures and missing just 140 minutes of Premier League action.

A recent FIFPRO report even ranked Gvardiol eighth globally among players with the most matchday squad inclusions for the 2024/25 season – an indication of both his importance and physical resilience, even while managing fitness concerns.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Josko Gvardiol looked back on a difficult last campaign with Manchester City by admitting on his insistence on playing through fitness and injury struggles at the time for the best of the wider team.

“In my head last season I was like, ‘no matter what, how I feel, no matter if I am fit or not, I just want to play. I just want to compete to help the team’,” Gvardiol revealed. “I could feel it on my body, especially in the summer. I had a [knee] injury but now it’s finally good after six months.”

On the difficulties in terms of performances and results, the 23-year-old said, “Once it started, it was quite difficult to get out of. We spoke about it a lot and we were trying to find a solution. At the end we managed to be in the Champions League again and be in the FA Cup final.”

“I’m happy to be back to my position,” Gvardiol continued on the subject of returning to left-sided centre-back in Pep Guardiola’s rearguard, after a campaign spent largely operating at left-back.

“Just play simple, protect the goal, defend the goal,” he continued. “Obviously we have new goals this season and we want to aim high. But I like to say that it’s quite early to talk about our goals, the season is long so let’s go game by game.”

Looking ahead, Josko Gvardiol’s role could become even more significant as Manchester City aim to regain control in both domestic and European competitions. His recovery from injury and improved form suggest he will be central to Guardiola’s defensive plans, particularly as the team continues to manage transitions following recent summer changes.

With the return of defensive consistency and new arrivals bedding in across the squad, Manchester City will be hoping Josko Gvardiol’s switch back to centre-back serves as a long-term stabilising factor.

The Croatian’s words also hint at a renewed sense of confidence – both individually and collectively – as Manchester City seek to reclaim their place among Europe’s elite by season’s end.