Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca spoke about Gianluigi Donnarumma following confirmation that he will return to his team
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 28: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City speaks at the side of the pitch before the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion at Etihad Stadium on October 28, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Lexy Ilsley/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
Gianluigi Donnarumma
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Enzo Maresca said that no Manchester City player is safe from being dropped - despite public backing for his No.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma. City's backup keeper saved two penalties in midweek to dump Brighton out of the Carabao Cup on penalties but Maresca immediately confirmed that the team for Saturday's game would be 'Gigio plus ten'.
Donnarumma has been culpable for a number of goals conceded in recent weeks and one of those played a part in City losing their first Premier League game of the season last week at Aston Villa. Maresca pointed to Donnarumma's save at the end of the Manchester derby to point out that the Italian still has credit in the back, but insisted that this does not mean his place in the team is guaranteed.
"I think it is one thing to say that at his moment it is Gigio plus ten, and another thing to say he is undroppable," he said. "They are two different things. There is no player who is undroppable but there is a moment where it is Gigio plus ten because in this moment I see it like this.
"Any player makes mistakes, [what is] important is to move on, understand the reason why, to learn from that mistake and move on. In this moment we are talking about Gigio but remember the last minutes the save at Manchester United away.
"All players make mistakes at some point of the season, sometimes it costs points and sometimes not because we are lucky but I think it's a normal process from Gigio."
City are looking to beat Brighton for the second time in a week after emerging victorious from a penalty shootout at the end of their Carabao Cup game on Wednesday. The two sides made 16 changes between them for that encounter and will be expected to bring their best players back into their XIs for the Premier League game.
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