Rico Lewis has shared why Josko Gvardiol was substituted at halftime during Manchester City’s recent 4-2 win over Crystal Palace.
After beating Aston Villa 4-1 in midweek, the Citizens followed that up with an away victory against the Eagles, taking a step closer to potentially winning the Premier League title.
As the second half was about to kick off, a noticeable change was made within the City team, as Gvardiol was substituted off for Manuel Akanji after he was named in the starting XI and played throughout the first half.
At the end of the game, another figure in the City side shared why this decision was made.
Lewis reveals why Gvardiol was substituted against Palace
Speaking on TNT Sports (via Amos Murphy) after the win at Selhurst Park, Lewis had this to say about why Gvardiol was substituted at halftime.
He said: “The reason for Josko coming off was because he felt a niggle and we don’t want to risk any injuries.”
Throughout the first half, Gvardiol, who completed the full 90 minutes against Villa in midweek, had 76 touches of the ball in total, accurately completing 58 of the 64 passes he attempted.
The 22-year-old also managed to have two shots at goal, with one being on target.
In terms of his defensive work, the Croatian made three clearances and won four of the five duels he was involved in.
Now that Lewis has revealed that Gvardiol was taken off as a precaution after he picked up a potential injury, this may lead to some concern about his fitness, especially with the Blues having a vital Champions League game against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Moving forward, everyone connected to the Manchester club will be hoping that because he was taken off as a precaution, this has reduced the chance of him being seriously injured and won’t be out of action for any significant period of time.
