Pep Guardiola has shown his support for Abdukodir Khusanov following a difficult start to his Premier League career during Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over Chelsea. The young Uzbek, who joined from Lens for £34 million this week, had a nightmare debut, gifting Chelsea the opening goal with a poor header just three minutes into the match.
Despite his early error and subsequent yellow card for a foul on Cole Palmer, Khusanov received backing from his teammates and Guardiola. The City manager praised the response from the young defender’s teammates, highlighting their support in a tough moment.
Guardiola also took responsibility for putting Khusanov straight into the match, given City’s defensive injury crisis. The manager acknowledged the challenge Khusanov faced dealing with Chelsea’s attacking players and confirmed that the mistake was part of the learning process. “He knows he made a mistake. What can I say? ‘Don’t make a mistake’?” said Guardiola.
With the upcoming Champions League clash against Club Brugge described as a “final,” Guardiola is focusing on the next match, which will see Khusanov and fellow debutant Omar Marmoush unavailable.
