Manchester City will be left fuming with club’s squad decision on big-name loanee | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City are likely to be left hugely frustrated by a decision taken at Celtic concerning the game time of loanee Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.

The highly rated teenage defender was one of several Etihad Academy products to seal temporary moves away during the recent transfer window, with Manchester City keen for him to experience senior football at the highest possible level.

Celtic were seen as an ideal destination given their domestic dominance and regular involvement in European competition. However, the Scottish Premiership side’s latest squad ruling has cast major doubt over the opportunities Simpson-Pusey will receive.

City have long used their expansive loan network to accelerate the progress of players they feel could eventually compete for first-team places under Pep Guardiola, with this summer alone seeing Issa Kabore head to Wrexham, Will Dickson to Chesterfield, while Jaden Heskey was linked with loan exits before ultimately staying at the City Football Academy.

In Simpson-Pusey’s case, the Europa League was expected to provide a valuable test of his development, only for Celtic’s squad selection decisions proving to tell a different story.

As confirmed by Celtic this week, the Scottish Premiership giants have excluded Jahmai Simpson-Pusey from their 25-man squad list for the UEFA Europa League’s league phase beginning later this month.

That decision leaves the 19-year-old restricted to domestic action, at least for the time being, and raises questions about how meaningful his Celtic spell will be. Manchester City will have expected the player to feature heavily across all competitions, not just in league fixtures.

Even in the Scottish top-flight, Simpson-Pusey was yet to secure a single minute of action prior to the September international break, further emphasising doubts over whether he fits into Brendan Rodgers’ plans.

Speculation will now turn to whether City consider recalling Simpson-Pusey in January should the lack of European football translate into continued limited minutes overall. With the club already conscious of ensuring the right balance between development and game time, a reassessment of his situation may become inevitable.

For Celtic, the call may have been driven by the need for senior experience in European matches, yet the fallout could impact their relationship with Manchester City when it comes to future loan discussions.