The return of one Manchester City midfielder to his best has seen another miss out | OneFootball

Manchester City have been fortunate to have Rodri return to his best over the past couple of months. Alongside Bernardo Silva, Rodri remains the heartbeat of Manchester City’s midfield. No better example of this occurred during Manchester City’s recent 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Bernardo and Rodri were immense in midfield, which set the scene for Manchester City. But as Rodri returned to his best, Nico has become the forgotten man in Manchester City’s midfield. The Spanish midfielder has primarily been a substitute of late, which is a shame given how strongly he performed earlier this season.

Pep Guardiola praised Nico yesterday ahead of Manchester City’s FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool. The Manchester City manager spoke highly of Nico while acknowledging the competition Nico faces to find a regular spot in Manchester City’s midfield.

Nico is competing with Rodri for minutes which is the reason why he hasn’t played much recently.

Pep Guardiola acknowledged that Nico hasn’t played recently. However, the Manchester City manager explained that Nico is learning from Rodri and that despite not playing, the Spanish midfielder continues to train hard. He explained yesterday: “Nico played alongside O’Reilly at Newcastle and they were both some of the best performances this season, but Rodri is Rodri. Sometimes you need minutes to become who you are but you see Rodri in the Carabao Cup final, Bernardo too, it’s just that. Like Khusanov, he accepts the situation and trains harder. Always he’s ready. He’s a joy to have in the squad.”

“The contribution from Nico, he has seen for himself that it’s his best season so far and he has a lot of things to improve, mentally, how he’s able to get the ball, break lines and look forward.”

“Rodri is the best midfield player in the world so he can learn and he is so young like Phil [Foden] and has the margin to improve.”

Manchester City know that they have a quality midfielder in Nico.

What Nico has shown this season is that he is a quality midfielder in his own right. The Spanish midfielder is a lot more than simply a Rodri stand-in. Nico has shown that he understands Pep Guardiola’s demands, and in possession, Nico knows what makes his team tick. Out of possession, Nico’s ability to read the play has been exceptional, and he has helped his team defensively when required. All told, Nico has shown that he is a quality midfielder with the potential to become an important player for Manchester City.

Having said all of that, Nico is competing with Rodri for a spot in Pep Guardiola’s side. That is no easy task in itself. Rodri remains Manchester City’s most important player, and taking his spot in the City starting lineup is no easy task. In fact, it’s almost impossible. Nico is behind Rodri and Bernardo Silva in the pecking order at City. But he does have the opportunity to learn from the pair, which will be invaluable to Nico’s development.

Nico hasn’t played recently as Rodri has returned to his best, and Pep Guardiola has trusted Rodri and Bernardo Silva to be the heartbeat of the Manchester City midfield. What Nico has done, as Pep Guardiola explained, is keep his head down and train and learn from his more experienced teammates. At some point, Nico’s opportunity will come, and there is little doubt that he will be ready to seize it when it arrives.