Matheus Nunes has enjoyed a productive past couple of months for Manchester City despite the collective struggles of the team.
The Portugal international has been a big beneficiary of the injury problems at the Etihad Stadium this season, and he has now made 14 appearances (including the Community Shield) for a total of 768 minutes.
Nunes is primarily a central midfielder, who works best going from box to box.
But as a result of the likes of Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish being unavailable through injury, Nunes has had a stint as a left winger for Manchester City.
The star has actually done well playing out wide, making seven goal contributions so far (three goals, four assists).
But it could now be all change for Nunes following one report’s claim this evening.
Matheus Nunes set to play in midfield with Pep Guardiola liking two traits
It has been reported by Give Me Sport that the Nunes wing experiment is now set to end.
Pep Guardiola is said to have been pleased with Nunes’ performances out wide, and is enthused by the way he’s become a more prominent player.
But the Manchester City manager is now ready get Nunes into midfield, which is arguably where City have been struggling the most in recent weeks.
Guardiola is said to really value two traits that Nunes has, which are his energy and his endeavour.
So while Nunes has impressed out wide, the former Wolves man is now set to move inside and operate in the engine room.
There is a faint suggestion that Nunes could potentially be used deep in the Rodri role.
If this is the intention, then it’s possible Guardiola will want someone in there with him, such as Mateo Kovacic.
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Man City midfield could benefit from Nunes’ legs
Nunes has surprised a few people in recent weeks with his performances out wide, and he has undoubtedly been one of City’s better performers during this tough spell.
It will be very interesting to see if Nunes now gets a regular run of games in central midfield, and which exact role he could play.
| Matheus Nunes for Man City this season |
| Appearances – 14 |
| Minutes played – 768 |
| Goals – 3 |
| Assists – 4 |
During this four-game losing streak and frankly for weeks before that, City’s midfield has looked a bit all over the place.
Micah Richards claimed Kovacic and Rico Lewis have been getting caught out of position, and some teams are finding the midfield fairly easy to bypass.
Nunes is an athlete and so, his legs and athleticism could be quite useful in there. His pace would potentially allow for important recoveries.
Guardiola claimed earlier this season that Nunes’ first touch needed to improve, so that will be something the Spaniard will be mindful of. But he might just be worth a go, given the current struggles.
