Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov is available to face Fulham where he could continue his long run of consecutive starts.
Abdukodir Khusanov may not speak like William Shakespeare but there is no longer a question over whether the Uzbek defender can play for Manchester City against Fulham.
The centre-back was forced off in Sunday’s win over Liverpool with what looked like it could be concussion, but Pep Guardiola has confirmed that the 21-year-old will be fine to face Fulham.
The start at Liverpool was Khusanov’s tenth in a row for City this season, coming back in from the cold after barely starting for months while Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias were preferred.
Injuries to both allowed Khusanov into the side at centre-back, and he has not let anyone down with a string of impressive performances.
Nico Gonzalez (15) is the only City player to have a longer streak of starting games this season and even with Dias’ return – and the arrival of Marc Guehi and Max Alleyne – Khusanov could be trusted again for Fulham.
Guardiola is delighted with the physicality of the player but also how intelligent his decisions are in games and the improving language barrier between Khusanov and his team-mates as he learns English.
“He doesn’t speak like William Shakespeare but he’s getting better and better,” laughed Guardiola. “He understands what we want and every time he is getting better. He is so intelligent. Normally you have the opinion that he is so physical and so strong and so fast that he’s not able to think but it’s completely the opposite in Khusa – he always taking good decisions.
“His speed is difficult [for attackers]. He is so, so fast. To recover positions are one of the [best] attributes but don’t get confused about Khusa, he is so intelligent. Normally when a player has this physicality, it means he has not to use what is going on [in the head] and he has both.
“That’s why on the ball he is getting better and always encourages me [that he] will improve. I think he can improve at that age, he is always open minded. I said recently Man City have a player and a central defender for many, many years.”
John Stones could also return to the City squad for the first time since they last played Fulham in early December. The England international has had another frustrating absence through injury but is closing on a return.