‘Zinc can be our man in the middle’
PEP Guardiola says that Aleks Zinchenko remains a midfield option for City.
The Ukraine international returned to action after six weeks out with injury with an assured performance at left back as the Blues exited the Carabao Cup in a penalty shoot-out at West Ham on Wednesday night.
But while he has been absent, Joao Cancelo has nailed down that position, as one of City’s outstanding performers in the opening months of the season.
Zinchenko now offers manager Pep Guardiola the option to rotate, and give Kyle Walker and Cancelo time to rest – as he did against the Hammers by giving them 45 minutes each at right back.
But Zinchenko is a star for his country in his initial role as an attacking midfielder, and only became a left back in an emergency when Ben Mendy was injured three years ago and his stand-in Fabian Delph also ended up on the physio’s slab.
He has since grown into the role, improved the defensive side of his game enormously and gets to indulge his attacking nature by dint of Guardiola’s love for full backs who get forward and join in with the midfield.
Cancelo has been brilliant at doing that, but Zinchenko reminded everyone that he is also very good at doing it – and almost surprised keeper Alphonse Areola with a stinging long-range drive.
Guardiola suggested that Zinchenko could still start as a midfielder despite being increasingly pigeonholed as a left back for the Blues.
“Aleks has a huge personality, he handles the pressure easily,” said the City boss.
“He’s a player with a lot of quality in that position at left-back, he is always incredibly concentrated, he doesn’t make mistakes, he’s so reliable in this position. Of course he can play there. “We’ve struggled a lot to have leftbacks except the first season when we had (Aleks) Kolarov and Gael Clichy, afterwards we struggled to have a proper, proper. “Fabian Delph adapted really well and after that, Aleks. The day we need him to play in the middle he’s going to play really good.
“He is a guy who understands the game, a guy who plays football really well, has a huge personality. That’s why we are more than delighted for the process.
“So far Kyle and Joao have been outstanding but at the same time the season is long and we will need him, happy he is back after his injury.”
Aleks has a huge personality, he handles the pressure easily Pep Guardiola