Pep Guardiola once again expressed a very warm and high opinion about Uzbekistani legionnaire Abdukodir Khusanov. One of the influential sources around Manchester City, cityxtra.co.uk, published a material about the 21-year-old defender, highlighting the coach's attitude towards Husanov and the player's upcoming future.
As is known, a staff shortage arose in City's defensive midfield after injuries sustained by Yoshko Guardiol and Ruben Dias in the match against Chelsea earlier this month. In this situation, Khusanov began to regularly play in central defense. Furthermore, the problem forced the club to recall academy graduate Max Allen from his loan at Watford mid-season.
At the end of the week, the Citizens defeated Wolverhampton 2-0, returning to victory. The team, which didn't start 2026 very energetically (which won only three of their last eight matches in all competitions), intends to finish the month strong.
Another important development - the arrival of Mark Gehry from Crystal Palace significantly alleviated the staffing issues in the defense. The 25-year-old England national team member made his successful debut for City in tandem with Khusanov at Etihad. This indicates the formation of a new, reliable tandem in the central defensive line.
At the press conference, journalists asked Pep Guardiola a question about Khusanov: he was interested in his first 12 months in England after coming from "Lance," his growth in the team, and future prospects. Guardiola replied briefly, but very impressively:
"Read how Khusanov was praised in the media. They are right. He is the best. We have no objections. We are truly very pleased."
He didn't stop there. He particularly emphasized Husanov's character. According to the coach, after getting injured in the match against "Arsenal" in September 2025, Abdukodir was left without playing practice for about a month, but during this time he behaved like a great professional in training, in the dressing room, in the general environment.
Guardiola linked these qualities to Husanov's upbringing, the manners given by his parents, the environment in Uzbekistan, and his brief but important experience in France. Most importantly, he openly stated that relegating to the English Premier League and directly to Manchester City's level is not easy. But Khusanov "listened, learned, accepted" - and thus became a necessary figure for the team.
The coach's biggest conclusion sounds even more pleasant to fans:
the club had a central defender who could play at the highest level for many years. Now, what level he will reach in the future, in Guardiola's words, is solely in Abdukodir's own hands.
Of course, another "plus" of Khusanov is his versatility. He can play confidently both on the right wing and in the center of the defense. Guardiola has been effectively utilizing this quality for quite some time.
As Manchester City continues to compete for trophies on several fronts in the second half of the season, Husanov's role is expected to increase further in the coming months. Abdukodir's contribution to ensuring a clean sheet against Wolverhampton was also noticeable. Now, the next test is the decisive clash in the Champions League.
The source notes that there is a high probability of Khusanov starting in the decisive match against Galatasaray at Etihad. For a fan, this is just one simple signal: a player Guardiola trusts usually plays not by chance, but because they are truly ready.
In short, Abdukodir Khusanov's story is now moving from the "if given an opportunity, we'll see" stage to the "conquered opportunity" stage. And the end of this path truly looks bright.
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