Manchester City has begun to demonstrate its true power in recent weeks in the English Premier League and the Champions League. The team, led by Josep Guardiola, has moved up to second place in the national championship, trailing league leaders Arsenal by just three points.
Manchester United are also making successful strides in the Champions League - with two wins and one draw in three matches, they are in the top eight with a direct opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals.
However, against the backdrop of this positive situation, an alarming question arose for Uzbek fans - why is 21-year-old defender Abdukodir Khusanov still not in the squad?
Khusanov's injury is fading
As a reminder, he was injured in a match against Arsenal on September 21st. At the time, Guardiola stated that his condition was not serious and that he was expected to return to the squad after three games. However, the situation did not go as expected.
Our defender missed not only the match on October 5th but also two matches after the international break. He failed to help his team in three matches in the EPL and two in the UCL. During this time, other injured City players have returned to the squad, but Khusanov and Rodri Hernandez still haven't played.
Dispute in Spain and new loss
Khusanov did not participate in the last match against Villarreal in Spain as part of the Champions League. Guardiola's side secured a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva. However, the match did not go without injury - at the beginning of the second half, Nico Gonzalez received a shot in the leg and left the field in the 57th minute.
"Niko was hit in the leg, but I hope his injury isn't serious," Pep Guardiola said in his post-match statement.
At the same time, he did not give precise information about the time of Rodri's and Khusanov's return to the field.
Guardiola will comment in the coming days
According to Cityxtra.co.uk, Guardiola will provide the latest information on the team's injury situation before departing for Birmingham on Friday.
"Before the upcoming match against Aston Villa, he will provide journalists with the latest information on the condition of Nico Gonzalez, Rodri, and Abdukodir Khusanov," the portal's expert, Vayam Lahoti, wrote.
Fans' hope
Abdukodir Khusanov has earned great trust as a young and capable City defender. It is noted that his absence creates a shortage for some positions in the team system.
Football fans are now hoping to hear positive news about Husanov in Guardiola's statement ahead of the Aston Villa vs. Manchester City match, which will take place on October 26th at 7:00 PM Tashkent time.
Conclusion: As Manchester City strides forward, the most important question for Uzbek fans is - when will Abdukodir Khusanov return? The answer is still unclear, but his place in the team is still vacant.
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