Aït-Nouri short of playing time: Maresca explains his reasons

28.10.26 AP EFL Cup (Carabao Cup)

Manchester City

2 (4)

:

Brighton

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Italian coach Enzo Maresca of Manchester City explained Algeria international Rayan Aït-Nouri’s limited playing time by the competition for the left-back position.

Maresca explains his decisions regarding Aït-Nouri

The “Sky Blues” coach told reporters: “Gvardiol is performing well in that position, and Nico O’Reilly adds value to the team when he is fully fit. The competition between them is therefore for the same position.”

The two assists provided against Norwich City did not prevent Aït-Nouri’s limited playing time from continuing. He started the match against Brighton on the bench before coming on at the start of the second half, bringing his playing time this season to 197 minutes.

This situation raises questions about the Algerian defender’s future at City, with Manchester United and Juventus potentially interested in signing him during the winter transfer window.

Manchester City are preparing to face Brighton on Saturday in the ninth round of the Premier League.

Breaking: Manchester United makes its final decision regarding Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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