Pep Guardiola has revealed exactly why he has held Joao Cancelo back from his starting XI for so long.
The right back signed in a player-plus-cash deal worth around £60million – with Danilo heading the other way – in the summer.
But until he played in the midweek Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb, his only other start had been in the Carabao Cup victory at Preston a week earlier.
Many fans were clamouring to see the Portugal international, who earned a reputation at Juventus for his swashbuckling runs down the right.
But Guardiola bided his time, and showed faith in Kyle Walker, who has started nine of the 11 games in all competitions so far.
Now the fight for the right back spot is truly on, and Guardiola said that Cancelo has needed time to adjust to City’s shape and tactics whenever they are not in possession.
His role when City have the ball was not hugely dissimilar to what he did at Juventus and for his country, but playing for Guardiola is a case of learning how to react in sync with the rest of the team.
“In the game against Preston he made a step forward and we watched the clips together,” said Guardiola. “In the last game, good, too.”
The fact that Cancelo did not sign until three days before the Premier League season began, meant that there was little time to get him bedded in.
“Because he arrived late, not in pre-season, so most of the things that we worked on in the past ….” said Guardiola.
“In pre-season he was not there. What he did in the past with previous teams was completely different, so that is why he needed a little bit more time.
“But I think he is getting better. With the ball we don’t have doubts, without the ball he starts to understand what we want and he did it quite well in the games he has played.”
