A Manchester City midfielder put in the performance he needed against Palermo | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola revealed before Manchester City beat Palermo 3-nil that Rodri will need time to work his way back to full fitness. Guardiola told the media that Rodri likely won’t be fully fit until the September international break. As Rodri takes the time he needs to get back to full fitness, it allows other players to play in Rodri’s role. One player who could step into Rodri’s shoes is Spanish midfielder Nico. Against Palermo, Nico played the first half. He put in the performance he needed for his confidence against Palermo yesterday.

Nico did the simple things well in the first half of Manchester City’s win.

Nico started in midfield for Manchester City against Palermo. Nico O’Reilly partnered him in the heart of City’s midfield. John Stones and Rico Lewis also stepped into midfield when Pep Guardiola’s side began to dominate possession. But focusing on Nico, he did exactly what he needed to do playing as a number six.

Nico kept possession well and played it safe when he had the ball. He picked his passes well and looked like he better grasped the number six role. More to the point, he looked to have grasped the concepts behind the role that Pep Guardiola demands. Nico’s defensive positioning in midfield was also good. The Spanish midfielder can play the role that Rodri has made his own. Although it was against lesser opposition in Palermo, Nico’s performance was precisely what he needed for his confidence. It was an assured performance from the Spanish midfielder, which should help him build into a new season.

Manchester City will need Nico to perform throughout next season.

As mentioned above, Rodri will need time to regain full fitness. That was to be expected. To fill the void his recovery creates, Pep Guardiola will likely turn to Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Nico to fill that void. Each player is capable. Rodri’s gradual return to fitness does create an opportunity for Nico, especially. If he can take it, it would fill him with confidence for the 25/26 season.

Looking further ahead, Manchester City do need Nico to perform next season. It would be foolish to expect Rodri to be at his best instantly. Nico can provide the cover City need for Rodri when he needs rest. The Spanish midfielder can also grow into a player who can play alongside Manchester City’s midfield general. In a season that looks like it could potentially be Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva’s final season at City, if Nico can have a good season, he can lay the foundation for himself to fill their shoes.

Nico put in a good performance against Palermo. It was exactly the type of performance he needed for his confidence. The hope being that Nico can use his display from last night to lay the foundation for him to have a good 25/26 season for Manchester City. If he can do that he could develop into a vital player for Pep Guardiola’s side.