Squad will need all their dressing room leaders
MANCHESTER City need all the character and leadership they can get right now as they three tough games with a depleted squad.
And they’re in luck – four of the 13 senior players available for today’s clash with Leicester are dressing room leaders, according to Riyad Mahrez.
In recent seasons City have had a captaincy ‘group’, usually of four or five players, with a hierarchy which decides who gets the armband when others are not playing.
Last season, David Silva was elected captain, with Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero making up the group.
Fernandinho has been named captain after Silva’s departure, and the club decided to keep the identity of the ‘other’ captains private, although the fact that Kyle Walker was wearing the armband against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup on Thursday suggests he is one.
Mahrez said: “It’s always been Fernandinho, now obviously Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, people who have been in the club for a while, also Raheem Sterling.”
Mahrez established himself as a first team regular last season with some fine performances, and early on was in the running to be the club’s player of the season.
In the end, there was only one candidate, as De Bruyne picked up both the PFA and Premier League player of the year awards, and has also been named in the three-man shortlist for Uefa player of the year.
Mahrez acknowledged the importance of the Belgium midfielder: “He’s a top player for us, around the world everyone knows his quality.
“He’s making the difference every game for us and he’s very good.”