Training Ground Insight: Manchester City are preparing 19-year-old for life in defensive midfield | OneFootball

Manchester City officials and staff are reportedly preparing one of their first-team wonderkids for life in defensive midfield through training ground activity.

Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff have spent the most part of their pre-season, FA Community Shield, and the opening Premier League game of the campaign working on solutions for potential absences of Rodri.

The Spaniard was ruled out of the contest against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge having not trained with Manchester City since first returning to the club’s training base midway through last week, following an extended summer break after the European Championships.

As such, Guardiola was forced into a tactical reshuffle and testing out his options without Rodri for the first time in Premier League action, opting to place Mateo Kovacic in the lone defensive midfield role with support from Rico Lewis inverting from full-back.

But appears as though the work ongoing to further educate and strengthen Kovacic in the position is not the only progress being made behind-the-scenes, with Lewis also being prepared for life away from right-back.

According to the information of MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, the 19-year-old spent the days before the recent FA Community Shield against Manchester United going through drills in Mateo Kovacic and Nico O’Reilly’s defensive midfield area of the pitch.

The teenager – who is naturally a right-back for the club – is reportedly seen as someone capable of performing in the role, whilst the main argument in favour of Rico Lewis is that he makes Manchester City play quicker.

Rico Lewis has provided excellent performances in a number of positions for Manchester City since first breaking into the first-team picture following the FIFA World Cup in 2022, forcing Joao Cancelo out of the club and into a string of loan deals away from the Etihad Stadium.

Having largely mastered the tactical set-up of drifting inside into defensive midfield when Manchester City are in possession of the ball, as well as offering defensive structure outside of possession, Rico Lewis has starred in forward roles too.

Numerous performances impressed during the last campaign with Rico Lewis operating in advanced midfield, including away trips to BSC Young Boys and RB Leipzig and the UEFA Champions League, as well as Arsenal in a tricky away fixture in the Premier League.