He’s Zin, now can he stay?

PEP Guardiola probably didn’t plan to play Aleks Zinchenko in successive away games at Chelsea and United.

City’s auxiliary left-back has found opportunities hard to come by this season with the return of Benjamin Mendy, the good form of Joao Cancelo and addition of Nathan Ake.

However, with Ake not fit, Cancelo needed on the right and Mendy being kept out of the limelight after his New

Year indiscretions, an opening has emerged for Zinchenko.

The Ukrainian’s situation is not too dissimilar to the one

John Stones found himself in.

Out of favour, some high-profile mistakes, and other players taking their chances ahead of him. The natural next step is for his City career to be questioned, with reports that Zinchenko could be leaving increasing in frequency.

Like Stones, though, Zinchenko (pictured) has been determined to fight for his place, and with so much rotation and injury absences this season he will have always known a chance would come. That chance came against Chelsea, with Zinchenko an enforced inclusion at left-back at Stamford Bridge. He struggled in the early stages against Hakim Ziyech, but recovered well to mark the winger out of the game until he was substituted, and deserved to keep his spot for the trip to United.

The early signs looked like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial would have the beating of him, but once again he grew into the contest.

With the long-term effects of Kyle Walker’s Covid isolation unknown, and Mendy seemingly out of favour, there could be a chance for Zinchenko to stake his claim for his City future.

Cancelo did it last year when he was being linked with an exit, Stones has done it this year, and Guardiola has assured his squad good performances will see them keep their places in the side.