He arrived without a toothbrush and laughed about it
In the restless search for balance between what a squad possesses and what a season demands, Manchester City have turned to an unlikely figure at right-back — Abdukodir Khusanov, a centre-back by trade and temperament, thrust into an unfamiliar role by circumstance and trusted by a manager who values pace, humility, and adaptability above positional purity. Four games into the campaign, with three players already tried and found wanting in the position Kyle Walker once made his own, Guardiola's willingness to reimagine a 21-year-old Uzbek defender speaks to both the club's resourcefulness and the quiet, unassuming character of the player himself.
- City's right-back crisis deepened with each passing week — Lewis exposed at Tottenham, Nunes conceding a careless penalty at Brighton, and no natural replacement in sight after the Livramento pursuit collapsed.
- With Manchester United arriving at the Etihad, Guardiola reached for Khusanov — a January signing with almost no professional experience at right-back — and asked him to contain one of the Premier League's most dynamic wide players.
- A moment of youthful recklessness — a full-blooded sprint that ended in a collision and a dangerous free-kick — reminded everyone that this is still a work in progress, a player learning a position in real time.
- Yet the overall audition was convincing enough: Guardiola praised his speed, his composure in possession, and his capacity to grow, suggesting the experiment will continue even as its limits are acknowledged.
Manchester City's right-back position has become one of the season's defining puzzles. Four games in, three players have worn the shirt — a consequence of the club's failed summer pursuit of Tino Livramento, whose price rose beyond reach once Newcastle secured Champions League football. Rico Lewis offered composure in possession but was undone by Tottenham's physicality. Matheus Nunes, a £53 million central midfielder, was reinvented as a full-back and promptly conceded a penalty against Brighton through a lapse in concentration.
So when United came to the Etihad, Guardiola turned to Abdukodir Khusanov — 21 years old, signed from Lens in January, and a centre-back by nature. His only prior right-back appearances had come for Uzbekistan's Under-21 side more than a year earlier. The selection was driven by pace: Guardiola needed someone who could track Patrick Dorgu across ninety minutes, and Khusanov's speed also suits the deeper defensive shape that Donnarumma's goalkeeping demands.
The performance had its rough edges. One burst of enthusiasm saw Khusanov sprint to cut out a Bruno Fernandes pass, collide with Dorgu, and gift United a free-kick in a dangerous position. But that same impulsiveness is part of what makes him compelling — and beloved in the dressing room. Guardiola had already told the story of finding him at a team hotel without a toothbrush, laughing it off, and calling him 'silent, humble, no complaints.'
After the derby, the manager's praise was careful but genuine: fast, clean in possession, still learning when to hold back. Guardiola admitted Khusanov cannot carry the role alone across the months ahead, but the audition was enough to suggest City have found, at minimum, a workable answer — and perhaps, in time, something more.
Manchester City's right-back position has become a puzzle Pep Guardiola keeps trying to solve in new ways. Four games into the season, three different players have worn the shirt, a problem that seemed inevitable when the club failed to land Tino Livramento from Newcastle in the summer. The English defender's Champions League qualification made him too expensive, and City decided to work with what they had.
Rico Lewis got the first chance. He looked composed against Wolves, comfortable on the ball when City controlled the game, but a week later Tottenham exposed his defensive vulnerabilities and lack of physical presence. The 20-year-old signed a new five-year contract on Friday, though he made clear his preference is midfield. Matheus Nunes, signed from Wolves for £53 million to play centrally, has been repositioned as a right-back instead—a reinvention that showed its limits when he conceded a penalty against Brighton through a lapse in concentration.
So when Manchester United arrived at the Etihad on Sunday, Guardiola had another option waiting. Abdukodir Khusanov, the 21-year-old signed from Lens in January, stepped into the role with almost no prior experience there. Before joining City, his only right-back appearances came for Uzbekistan's Under-21 team at the AFC Under-21 Asian Cup in April 2024. Yet his performance suggested he might offer at least a short-term answer to the club's flank troubles.
Khusanov's pace is his defining asset—the kind of speed that makes him valuable in multiple positions. Guardiola specifically cited the need to contain Patrick Dorgu's quick movements on United's left wing when explaining the selection. The young defender's velocity also suits City's evolving defensive setup, with Gianluigi Donnarumma now in goal and operating from a deeper starting position than Ederson did. That extra space behind the defence becomes less vulnerable when a full-back can cover ground quickly.
The performance wasn't flawless. One moment of youthful overcommitment saw Khusanov race back to intercept a Bruno Fernandes pass intended for Dorgu, only to collide with his opposite number and concede a free-kick near the penalty area. That kind of enthusiasm—the willingness to throw himself into situations—frustrates Guardiola occasionally but also explains why the player has become a dressing room favourite so quickly. Five weeks after arriving, he played a key role in City's narrow win at Tottenham, and Guardiola told the story of finding him unpacked in the hotel without a toothbrush or washbag, laughing off the oversight. "He is already incredible for the dressing room," the manager said then. "Silent, no complaints and so humble."
After Sunday's derby, Guardiola offered measured praise. "He's young, so fast, and very clean in possession," he said. "Sometimes his energy leads to wrong decisions, but with time, he'll improve." The manager acknowledged that Khusanov cannot play every game over the next eleven months, but the audition suggests City may have found a workable solution, at least for now. Whether he becomes the long-term answer at right-back or returns to his natural position at centre-back, his willingness to fill the gap and his obvious rapport with teammates have already made him a fixture the fans want to see more of.
Citações Notáveis
He's young, so fast, and very clean in possession. Sometimes his energy leads to wrong decisions, but with time, he'll improve.— Pep Guardiola on Khusanov's performance
He is already incredible for the dressing room. Silent, no complaints and so humble.— Pep Guardiola on Khusanov's character
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does a centre-back end up playing right-back in a derby?
Because City needed bodies and Khusanov has the one thing that matters most right now—speed. When you've cycled through three players in four games, you're not looking for perfection, you're looking for someone who can keep up with the opposition's wingers.
But he's never really played the position before.
Exactly. Which is either a liability or an asset depending on how you look at it. He doesn't have bad habits to unlearn. He just runs, defends, and stays composed. That's enough for now.
Guardiola seems fond of him despite the mistakes.
The mistakes are almost beside the point. What matters is that he arrived without a toothbrush and laughed about it. He's humble, he's eager, and the dressing room trusts him. In a squad under pressure, that counts for something.
Is this a permanent fix?
No. It's a patch. City still needs a proper right-back long-term. But patches that work and make people happy are better than expensive solutions that don't.
What happens if he gets injured?
Then Guardiola spins the wheel again. But at least now he knows Khusanov can handle it, which is more than he knew a week ago.