Pep Guardiola explains why Rayan Ait-Nouri could miss Newcastle vs Man City amid AFCON return
Man City might still be without talented defender Rayan Ait-Nouri despite Algeria being knocked out of AFCON by Nigeria.
Multiple Premier League stars have already returned from international duty after failing to progress in the competition, though Liverpool star Mohamed Salah remains with Egypt.
Pep Guardiola has only recently lost Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol to injuries, joining John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, and Savinho on the treatment table, adding pressure to an already pressurised situation.
Man City remain six points behind Arsenal in the Premier League, but ahead of Tuesday, 13 January, all focus will be on the Citizens’ clash with Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
The Magpies’ winning streak continued against Bournemouth, advancing in the FA Cup on penalties after a six-goal thriller in 120 minutes, and they will be keen to do the same at St James’ Park this time around.
Rayan Ait-Nouri is delayed in his return to Man City
Guardiola is already without several stars, but after Algeria were knocked out of AFCON, it would have been a slight boost for his squad to see a big name return for the semi-final clash.
However, it might not be as easy as that to restore a member to the back line, with the manager now admitting that Ait-Nouri might not make it back in time for the game.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference (12 January), the Man City boss said: “Rayan Ait-Nouri is coming back from AFCON but, unfortunately, lost the [flight] connections and is a little bit late…”
While Nico O’Reilly has starred for Man City this season, the youngster definitely needs a rest at some point, but it doesn’t seem like that will be coming against Newcastle this week.
Pep Guardiola to expect more from the playmaking defender
Ait-Nouri has certainly not thrived at Man City as many expected since his move, having only made three Premier League starts and notched just one assist in the Carabao Cup.
However, when looking at how well O’Reilly has done, it is not a complete mystery to see the Algerian benched often, and Guardiola will be more than happy with the healthy competition.
After spending £31million in the summer, though, fans have expected more from the talented full-back, especially after recording 11 goals and 14 assists in four permanent seasons with Wolves.
He has shown his abilities in small bursts, but upon returning from AFCON, whenever that might be, he will be expected to fight for his position a lot harder.