MAN CITY NOTEBOOK: Stefan Ortega wants summer resolution on his future, City’s stars face a split shift… while a Welsh dragon clips Jeremy Doku’s wings during training
Manchester City are fortunate not to have felt the absence of Ederson over the past few weeks in the way other clubs might have.
The goalkeeper was always facing a race against time to recover from a thigh injury, sustained away at Liverpool, ahead of the Arsenal draw last weekend but that he remained out for the 4-1 victory against Aston Villa was something of a surprise.
Stefan Ortega again performed admirably in his place – with Jhon Duran’s equaliser for Villa the first time the No 2 had conceded in 272 minutes. His superb save from Douglas Luiz when City led 2-1 played a major role Pep Guardiola’s team taking the game away from the visitors.
There will be decisions to make on Ortega’s future though. Mail Sport has been told that he has reached an impasse with the Premier League champions over a new contract, with discussions having been ongoing for well over six months.
There are understood to be differences over the financial terms and length of the proposed deal, while the German, 31, wants the opportunity to be a No 1 at the highest level possible.
Stefan Ortega has impressed for Man City in the absence of Ederson, making several key saves
But City’s No 2 is yet to extend his contract and wants his future resolved by the summer
Ortega now believes he requires a resolution to his situation by the summer, which will take him to within 12 months of his current contract expiring.
The former Arminia Bielefeld stopper recently purchased a new property in Hamburg but that is believed to be an investment as a family summer home rather than an indication on career steps.
Split shift for City stars
Guardiola called his players into training at the City Football Academy for a morning session before beating Villa.
Guardiola wanted to do extra work on the tactical side of City’s game in the wake of their performance against Arsenal – and it paid off.
The Catalan has publicly said he’s happy enough with performances in recent weeks, and relayed as much to his players on Sunday.
But Guardiola must feel that there are extra gears to go through in this tense fight for the title with the Gunners and Liverpool.
The additional work had the desired effect, with City slicker than they had been in recent weeks – even without Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings. Players went home after the session and returned later in the day before the 8:15 kick off.
Pep Guardiola called his players into training for a morning session before beating Aston Villa
Bonsai-gone
Perhaps a slight surprise that one of the Netflix stars ended up being a shrub but that is what happens in sport documentaries. The bonsai tree in the physio room, brought in by Erling Haaland, has been much discussed since the six-part series dropped earlier in the week.
Players went to great lengths to take care of the bonsai, watering it after receiving treatments, and Haaland talked up the ‘energy’ it gave the team.
But the seedling is no more. Gone, potentially forever. It’s thought one player – presumably Haaland or fellow bonsai-enthusiast John Stones – took it home last summer. The physio room must have instantly become a slightly greyer place.
The famous Bonsai tree from City’s new documentary, brought in by Erling Haaland, is gone
City investigating alleged assault
City have fielded a complaint from a supporter over stewarding at half-time of Sunday’s match and are looking into the case. The incident occurred in the South Stand, where the club’s more vocal fans reside.
The fan is alleging that they were assaulted by a member of security staff on the concourse and, in an email sent to City, suggested that a nearby CCTV camera caught the altercation.
City are investigating the allegation. It’s understood that the supporter opted against using their season ticket to attend the subsequent victory over Villa.
Other fans have claimed that stewarding was ‘heavy handed’ in that area of the Etihad Stadium.
Dragon clips Doku’s wings
Gabriel and William Saliba both labelled Jeremy Doku as the trickiest player to face in the league last week – and there is no doubting that the Belgian offers something different for City out wide, something showcased on the right wing against Villa.
But while he strikes fear into defenders up and down the country with a jagged and unpredictable dribbling style, there was one youngster who fancied his chances during a recent training session.
Wales youth international Rhys Thomas, 17, won’t be a name City fans are overly familiar with. A full back who can operate on either flank, he’s made six appearances in the Under-18 Premier League this season.
Wales youth international Rhys Thomas impressed up against Jeremy Doku in City training
The expectation is that he will become a regular in that academy side next year and he did his chances no harm when asked to participate with the first team a few months back.
Thomas, who has recently signed a new contract at City, found himself up against Doku and the Belgian is said to have failed to jink his way past Thomas throughout the session. Doku’s teammates found this particularly amusing.
