Our regular Q&A this week looks at new contracts, Pep Guardiola's future and the next captain at Manchester City
Pep Guardiola and Phil Foden
Pep Guardiola and Phil Foden(Image: )
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There's no shortage of Manchester City topics to discuss as Pep Guardiola's men look to compete in four competitions this season after the disappointment of last season. We've got every game and press conference covered for you but we also know that there is so much going on around that.
That's why we are holding regular Q&A sessions with our chief City writer Simon Bajkowski. The day of the week it comes out on may change depending on what City's schedule looks like but essentially this is your chance to get an answer on anything you want - simply pop your question here at any time of the week and Simon Bajkowski will pick them all up wrap everything up in one place.
This week's is coming at the weekend following the trip to Bodo but don't worry if your question hasn't been answered because the next one will be early next week. For now, we are talking about new contracts, Pep Guardiola's future and the next captain.
How long is Días expected to be sidelined for? Nas
Not long, he should be back in a few weeks. Dias is one of the fittest members of the squad usually and is working hard to get back, so with any luck he could be available for when City go to Liverpool in a few weeks. All that may keep him out for any longer is any concern that his comeback could be rushed. He did that last season and ended up being out for even longer, and City now have cover given that Marc Guehi has arrived. Dias was at the game on Saturday though and is around the club for rehab.
Hi Simon — I wanted to ask about the contract renewals of Rodri, Foden, and Gvardiol. Especially with only 18 months left on Rodri’s deal, Guardiola’s comment that his form might only return around the World Cup makes me think City will be monitoring his health and condition very closely. As a fan who truly loves Rodri, I can’t help but feel a fear that he might not be able to return to being truly top class again. Do you think the club shares this concern, and could this affect their approach to his renewal? TJ
Ask Pep Guardiola, as somebody did on Friday, and he will laugh you out of the room. He is convinced that Rodri will get back to his best, but has said for a while that it likely won't be until the end of this season. It does put City in an interesting position with his contract though and Hugo Viana was certainly ruthless with Kevin De Bruyne, although despite the fact that other clubs will be circling they will have the similar views and worries about Rodri and City have taken exceptional care of him through all his rehab and recovery. A new contract for Foden is progressing nicely and should be done before Gvardiol or Rodri - with Gvardiol, I think the focus for him is on his rehab after such a serious injury.
What’s Pep’s future internally looking at the recent crisis of the team? Rey
Hi Rey, Guardiola's future won't be decided by what the team results are unless there was a spectacular implosion. He has too much credit in the bank and so will be able to walk away when he chooses to. It's worth pointing out that as difficult as January has been for City they are still bang in the hunt in all four competitions and they definitely could not say that last winter.
Some commentators even had Guardiola leaving this week and replaced by Enzo Maresca before the Wolves match, which proves again how much noise there is around the manager's future and how little is actually known. There is still a wideheld belief from many that he will leave this summer, although as with previous noise you wonder if some of that is people from other clubs hoping rather than genuinely believing. The manager has never broken a contract in his career and his current deal runs to 2027.
Any plans on strengthening our midfield as it still lacks leg. Kat
Not in this window, Kat. Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo have both arrived this month because City believe they can add something for the second half of the season but also - and crucially - because the clubs that they were at were open to selling this month.
It is hard enough to get a marquee midfielder through the door - as City can attest to in their unsuccessful efforts to get cover for Rodri's position - but even harder in January and Elliot Anderson and others simply weren't available. Whether Anderson or somebody else, you can expect City to sign a midfielder in summer; as I tried to get across to Guardiola in a recent press conference, you can't go another season where two out of your three options for the holding role are always injured.
Who is expected to be the first captain next season? Andrew
If Bernardo Silva leaves at the end of the season, as looks likely, it would be a surprise if the first captain did not come from the existing group. Ruben Dias was looking to be given the nod last year before Silva got the armband and he looks the frontrunner - Guardiola has spoken this season about overplaying the centre-back, currently injured, because he brings so much to the team with his leadership. There's also Rodri and Erling Haaland will surely be a shout if he stays for the length of his contract, but Dias looks like the next captain.