Rayan Cherki has perfect chance to shine as new injury blow emerges away from Man City
Rayan Cherki has the chance to prove to the rest of the world that he is ready to take on a bigger role at Man City.
The 22-year-old was given just 53 minutes as Man City beat Liverpool 3-0 ahead of the international break, with supporters standing for a round of applause at the Etihad Stadium.
While he was unable to add to his goal contributions, having notched four goals and four assists in 13 games, it was a good step towards Pep Guardiola finding someone to fill Kevin De Bruyne‘s shoes.
Since De Bruyne left Man City for Napoli, the Citizens have worried about finding a replacement for the legendary playmaker, and understandably so.
Rayan Cherki is capable of so much more at Man City
It feels as though Cherki still needs to prove to his manager that he is ready to take on a much bigger role as Man City make a charge for the Premier League title against Arsenal.
Many of his appearances have been small cameos, having just three league starts to his name so far, but even so, that has not stopped him from wowing fans at the Etihad Stadium.
Now, he can put on a show away from Man City, gain valuable minutes during the international window with France, before returning to England ahead of key clashes against Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen.
His chances of being given a start by Didier Deschamps may have just improved by a landslide, too.
Eduardo Camavinga pulls out of the France national team
In what will be a blow to the France squad ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Azerbaijan, Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga has been forced to withdraw with muscle issues.
While Cherki is far more attacking than the 23-year-old, France’s options are much more defensive. Deschamps could instead form an unbreakable duo, allowing the Man City star to express himself.
The 22-year-old only has two international caps to date, both coming in the Nations League back in June, but now could be the perfect opportunity to show the world that he is capable of so much more than he is doing right now.
There is no doubt that Guardiola and his team will be watching, and it could put him in good standing for more starts back at the Etihad.