Why has Abdukodir Khusanov been benched after such a bright start at Manchester City?

Uzbekistan national team’s talented central defender, Abdukodir Khusanov, made a high-profile move from France’s Lens to English giants Manchester City on January 20, 2024. Surprisingly, he quickly began appearing in key matches.

The young footballer impressed immediately and was even voted Manchester City’s Player of the Month for February by the club’s fans. However, despite this strong start, head coach Pep Guardiola unexpectedly benched Husanov.

Several prominent English sports outlets and football analysts have weighed in on the reasons behind Husanov’s sudden drop from the squad.

After a dip in form during November and December, Manchester City fell out of Premier League title contention earlier than expected and also risked missing out on a Champions League spot. To address the situation, the club made several transfers in January. To strengthen the defensive line, City brought in Husanov from Lens and Vitor Reis from Palmeiras.

Upon arriving in Manchester, Khusanov delivered strong performances against elite clubs like Real Madrid, Tottenham, Liverpool, and Newcastle, catching the attention of fans and analysts alike.

However, after a successful FA Cup quarterfinal match against Bournemouth, Khusanov was dropped from the lineup. His spot in central defense was taken by Josko Gvardiol, who moved in from left-back and formed a solid partnership with Ruben Dias.

Manchester City insider and journalist Jack Gaughan explained the situation as follows: “Khusanov became a victim of circumstance. The young defender, signed from Lens for £33 million, played more than expected and did well despite having only one full training session before his debut against Chelsea.”

Currently, Abdukodir is also focusing heavily on learning English. He has weekly sessions with a club-appointed tutor three times a week and takes additional online lessons from his teacher in Tashkent, according to cityxtra.co.uk contributor Freddy Pai.

Since joining Manchester City, Khusanov has played nine matches across the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League, scoring once.

He also continues to represent Uzbekistan’s national team, having earned 23 caps and currently being one of the core players in the nation’s quest to qualify for the World Cup. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!