Pep Guardiola bursts into laughter during question over Rayan Ait-Nouri’s game time
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s limited game time at Manchester City since his summer arrival sparked a brief burst of laughter from Pep Guardiola this week, highlighting the unusual circumstances surrounding the talented Algerian’s role in the squad.
The City manager faced questions ahead of Saturday’s clash with Sunderland regarding squad rotation, fitness, and managing players during a congested fixture period. Among the topics raised was the lack of minutes for Ait-Nouri, who joined with high expectations but has struggled to break into a consistently starting lineup.
Guardiola explains the situation
Pep Guardiola’s reaction to the question – a short laugh before speaking – summed up the situation of a player highly rated internally but temporarily blocked by exceptional form in his position.
“Rayan played at the [Club] World Cup and was really good, he played the first game against Wolves, played the second against Spurs, and after he was injured,” Guardiola explained. “And after came Nico [O’Reilly], and Nico O’Reilly has performed really well. It’s the only reason [for limited opportunities], no more than that. We’re really pleased with Rayan Ait-Nouri and I know he’s going to help us.”
He continued, “He came not just for a certain period, for a long time, he knows the Premier League, he’s ductile, can play outside and inside, can play in different positions. But now, Nico is playing really good! And that is the only reason why.”
Rotation and future opportunities
Guardiola also addressed the potential need to rest O’Reilly given the intense schedule, which could provide opportunities for Ait-Nouri. “Yeah, maybe. That’s why I rotated maybe too much, obviously too much against [Bayer] Leverkusen. But the only reason why was that, to freshen legs, and look what happened in the second-half against Fulham, our legs could not run more. So it’s a lot, a lot of games. We need energy, and that was the reason against Leverkusen.”
Speaking on Ait-Nouri’s youth and potential, Guardiola added: “He’s young, he recovers well, and yeah, we’ll see, day by day.”
Conclusion
With Manchester City in a demanding run of fixtures, opportunities for Rayan Ait-Nouri may arise soon. Pep Guardiola’s insistence that the Algerian remains a trusted squad member suggests rotation could open the door for him, while his versatility ensures he could play an important role in the coming weeks.
