Ayub Buaddi's omission from Manchester City's starting lineup in their recent clash with Aston Villa took fans by surprise, especially as the midfielder was rested during the earlier match against AEK.
Manager Enzo Maresca justified his choice, citing the need for more attacking players in the game.
I think the situation against PSG was a bit different, — said Maresca.
Today we needed technical midfielders, so Ryan Cherki remained on the bench and Phil Foden took up a central role. There’s no doubt that Ayub will help us. Today, Enzo Fernandez and Elliot Anderson had very good games. We have so many matches coming up that he will definitely get his chance.
However, Maresca's plan didn’t fully pan out as Manchester City fell 2-1 to Aston Villa, with Nicolas Jackson scoring both goals for the opposition. Buaddi remained seated on the bench, but he is expected to feature in the upcoming fixtures, with two home matches against Brighton in less than 72 hours.
