Zinchenko: Every player is primed to show his best | OneFootball

Oleks Zinchenko says every player in the City squad is giving their all in the hope of selection.

The Premier League Champions’ incredible squad depth has proven a key talking point in the midst of an impressive run of results, with shining individual performances fuelling an efficient City machine.

Pep Guardiola’s men complete our Champions League group stage campaign on Tuesday night with a trip to RB Leipzig, having already secured progression to the knock-out stages.

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Zinchenko faced the media ahead of the game and although the Ukrainian has made just seven appearances in all competitions this term, three of those have arrived in Europe.

Though often utilised at left-back, in our last Champions League fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, he was employed in midfield as City secured progression with a 2-1 win.

Now in his fifth season with the Club, the 24-year-old has occupied a variety of positions over the years but says he is more than happy to step into the breach wherever needed, eager to grasp any opportunity to shine – as is the case with each of his teammates.

“I’m here already for the fifth season,” he said. “I was in all these positions but the only thing I know is: to be successful, you have to have hard work – that's the key.

“[Where I play] depends on the game and the opponent. Whatever the manager says, we are trying to do our best. It depends on the team we face.

“We have to respect every decision from the manager and each other. You have to fight for your place, you have to work hard for this chance. And when you get it, you have to use it 100%.

WATCH: Oleksandr Zinchenko: Quickfire questions

“Everyone is fighting, working hard and you have to give everything so in the end, you can say to yourself: ‘I have done my best, I have given 100%.’ If you deserve it, you play and if not, you didn’t do enough.

“Of course. It's so important to have these kind of players. We have such a long squad; everyone is working hard, waiting for his chance to show his best things.

“We are so lucky to have some of the best players in the world. Without them, it's so difficult to achieve something.”

One player who has starred in the 2021/22 campaign is Bernardo Silva, who is enjoying a purple patch of goalscoring form with five goals in his last six games, and Zinchenko hailed the impact of the Portuguese playmaker.

“We are so lucky to have him,” he said. “He’s such a good player.

“He’s always working hard. He’s in form at the moment and I wish he can continue this until the end of the season and help the team.”

Zinchenko, who started in May’s Champions League Final, also spoke of his pride for City’s qualification to the knock-out rounds of this year’s competition but expressed his sadness our final group game will be played behind-closed-doors in Germany.

“It’s a big achievement for the Club,” he added. “We are so proud to go through the play-offs.

“There are a lot of challenges ahead of us. With this team for the last few years what we have done, we have to go and try again to win every single game and show our very best performance.

“It is sad news for both teams [that the game is behind-closed-doors] – for all football fans who were supposed to come and watch the game and for the players as well.

“We just play for the fans but the main reason (for it) is for our health. I wish everyone is going to be healthy.”

RB Leipzig v City

City face Leipzig on Tuesday, with kick off at 17:45 (UK).

We will have full coverage on the official Man City app.

Everything you need to stay close to the action is available all in one place.

Minute-by-minute text updates get under way at 15:45 (UK), with team news, analysis and all the latest opinion.

Our Matchday Live show will start just before 16:35 (UK). Joining presenter Natalie Pike in the studio are former City stars Richard Dunne and Nedum Onuoha to keep you entertained right up until kick off.

They will then reconvene for a quick half-time debrief before a more in-depth post-match verdict, including their reaction to the full-time thoughts of Pep Guardiola and a player.

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The guests will also answer viewer questions throughout the broadcast, with audience participation actively encouraged on Matchday Live. To get in touch, send a WhatsApp to: +447537186538.

And there will be live commentary throughout the 90 minutes, too, with Alistair Mann and Michael Brown in position to guide you through the game.

Download the Man City app now and you won’t miss a beat. Don’t forget to turn push notifications on, that way you’ll get reminders of everything as the day unfolds.

And our Man City app coverage doesn’t end there…

Highlights of the game will be made available for free at 23:00 and CITY+ subscribers can watch a full 90-minute replay of the game at midnight.

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