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The fallout from the Asia Cup 2025 fracas between India and Pakistan, the governance crisis at USA Cricket (USAC), and tensions between the ICC and the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) over player-image rights are set to dominate discussions across various forums at this week’s ICC quarterly meetings in Dubai. Cricket’s chief executives will meet on November 5, before the Board meeting – of all board heads – takes place on November 7.

Asia Cup fallout

Though the issue is not officially on the agenda, it is likely to come up at the Board meeting on November 7, and is likely to be the subject of informal discussions on the sidelines. Tensions between the BCCI and PCB have mirrored those between the governments of India and Pakistan this year, and matters came to a head during the Asia Cup, where the teams met three times. The games were marred by a no-handshakes stance instigated by the BCCI and four players – Haris Rauf, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Sahibzada Farhan – were censured by the ICC for gestures or comments deemed to be political in nature.Related

• Rauf gets two-match ban; Suryakumar, Bumrah sanctioned after Asia Cup drama

• USA cricket crisis worsens as USAC files for bankruptcy

• India can come and collect Asia Cup trophy if they want it, says ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi

• ICC suspends USA Cricket board

• ICC and WCA could clash over player image rights for mobile game

Arguably the thorniest issue will be of the Asia Cup trophy itself. India won it, beating Pakistan in the final, but refused to come out and accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chair and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) head. The trophy has not been seen since, with reports suggesting it is in an ACC office in the UAE. Naqvi has insisted he, and only he, will hand over the trophy as ACC head.Owing to Naqvi’s political commitments (he is Pakistan’s interior minister), it isn’t clear whether he will be present in person at the meeting or if he joins it remotely.Board members are aware of the need for healthier ties between India and Pakistan because of the rivalry’s commercial impact on the global game. Some members expect a resolution to be chalked out this week.

ICC-WCA NIL rights tussle

Among the ICC’s more important strategic initiatives is its mobile game offering, for which it is looking for a partner. Plans to launch the game, compatible on mobile, PC, and games consoles, have been in the works as the ICC taps into what it believes will be a fast-growing revenue stream.While it remains optimistic about the project, the ICC has run into a potential dispute around the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights for the game with the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA). The WCA recently wrote to the 600 players registered with it globally – Indian and Pakistani players are notably not its members – saying the ICC was developing the mobile game “built on your name, image, likeness (NIL), without agreeing to terms with players collectively.”At the ICC’s annual conference in July, some members suggested that the boards should deal directly with their players over image rights, a move the WCA said was a breach of an agreement it had signed with the ICC. The WCA has accused the global governing body and some member boards of wanting to own the players’ name, image and likeness (NIL) rights beyond terms already agreed. The CEC (chief executives’ committee) will hear an update from members on their progress in terms of securing those rights on Wednesday.Cricket will be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles•Getty Images

Medium-term strategic reset

The ICC management is aiming for a medium-term strategy refresh, including looking at ways to exploit new funding mechanisms. This includes looking at ways of leveraging the sport’s presence in an increasing number of multi-sport events such as the Commonwealth and Asian Games and the Olympics. The governing body will also be looking at ways to adopt best practices from other sports like tennis, baseball and football in terms of exploiting the properties they own.

Olympics qualification pathway

The CEC is expected to get an update on the detailed qualification model for Los Angeles 2028, where cricket will feature at the Olympics for the first time since 1900. While the ICC Board had given its nod to a continental qualification system, the CEC is likely to get a broader idea on how the qualifying teams – six each in the men’s and women’s categories – will be shortlisted. The CEC will also get operational updates on cricket’s inclusion at the 2026 Asian Games and the African Games, Pan Am Games and European Games of 2027.The CEC will likely review and approve proposed qualification pathways for four forthcoming ICC events: the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup (to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia), the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup (to be held in Australia and New Zealand), the 2027 Women’s Champions Trophy and the 2029 Women’s ODI World Cup. It will also consider a recommendation to retain the 50-overs format for the Under-19 World Cup, which would allow Associate Members to strengthen their domestic structure in the longer white-ball format.USAC is in a tight spot in its bid to secure National Governing Body status, which will allow USA to participate in the LA Olympics•ICC/Getty Images

USAC and its future

On September 23, the ICC Board took the unanimous decision to suspend USAC with immediate effect for serious “breaches” including bringing cricket and the ICC into “disrepute” as well as failing to fulfil ICC membership criteria. In the suspension letter, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, the ICC charged USAC with “reneging on the commitments it made” to the ICC Board at the annual conference in July.USAC escaped suspension in July having committed to fulfil the conditions set by the ICC Board by October 20 including holding fresh board elections. But USAC first terminated its contract with long-term commercial partner American Cricket Enterprise (ACE), and then initiated bankruptcy proceedings, which it said was part of the financial restructuring of the organisation. The ICC did not take kindly to this, especially since it had been working closely with the US Olympics and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to secure National Governing Body status for USAC (which is necessary for the USA to participate in the LA Olympics). The USOPC had already warned the ICC that it would not allot NGB status to USAC in its current form unless its governance structure was overhauled and the current board replaced with a new one.In October the ICC sent another email to USAC spelling out the steps needed for the suspension to be lifted. Among the various conditions it set, the ICC told USAC that filing for bankruptcy was a violation of membership criteria, but recommended it “exit” the proceedings in a “satisfactory” manner. It is understood that under bankruptcy law, USAC has to provide the court with a financial plan for the next six months. With the ICC suspension halting its funding, the USAC management has been talking to the ICC about a way out. The ICC has told USAC that it will only fund cricketing operations for now, and nothing else.USAC is expected to write to the ICC Board, which is expected to discuss the issue on Friday, to understand the next steps.

وصل حسام حسن المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر الأول، وإبراهيم حسن مدير المنتخب برفقة خالد الدرندلي نائب رئيس اتحاد الكرة ومينا سامح إداري المنتخب لمجمع جون كينيدي للفنون الذي يستضيف قرعة كأس العالم 2026.

ويستعد الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، لإجراء مراسم قرعة بطولة كأس العالم نسخة 2026، والتي ستنطلق الصيف المقبل، وذلك مساء يوم الجمعة في مركز “جون كينيدي”.

طالع|مباشر | قرعة كأس العالم 2026.. بعد قليل

ويترقب جمهور كرة القدم العالمية على وجه العموم والكرة المصرية بصفة خاصة قرعة كأس العالم 2026، التي ستقام في السابعة من مساء اليوم الجمعة، بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك نهائيات النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو.

ومن المقرر أن تُقام المباراة الافتتاحية في المكسيك يوم 11 يونيو المقبل، ومع وجود منتخب المكسيك في التصنيف الأول، باتت الأنظار تتجه نحو هوية منافسه في اللقاء الافتتاحي.

 

The Haryana quick talks about idolising Glenn McGrath, bowling Travis Head off a no-ball, and learning what it takes to bowl on flat pitches

Shashank Kishore18-Sep-2024Anshul Kamboj wasn’t even born when Haryana won their first (and only) Ranji Trophy crown in 1990-91. And he didn’t know until his debut in 2022 what it took to succeed in first-class cricket. Two years on, Kamboj has built on a superb 2023-24 season, in which he was Haryana’s leading wicket-taker during a victorious Vijay Hazare campaign.Last week, Kamboj, 23, picked up an eight-wicket haul for India C in the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy. On a surface where his side racked up 525, Kamboj, who describes himself as a hit-the-deck bowler, ran through India B after their openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and N Jagadeesan put on 129.Test batter Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan and T20 star Rinku Singh were among those Kamboj dismissed. His 8 for 69 in 27.5 overs are currently the second-best figures by a fast bowler in Duleep Trophy history. Three batters were bowled, and two – the Khan brothers – lbw.Related

• Kamboj takes eight-for, Gaikwad hits fifty as India C eke out draw

• Suryakumar Yadav fit to play final round of Duleep Trophy

• Mulani, Kotian share seven wickets in India A's big win

“On a pitch where there wasn’t much help, my job was simple: attack the stumps to bring bowled and lbw into play,” Kamboj tells ESPNcricinfo.”You can’t overcomplicate things. It’s easy as a fast bowler to say, ‘there’s no help in this pitch, what can we do.’ As a fast bowler, your challenge is to always look to create opportunities. That’s what I’m learning to do.”Kamboj loves watching videos of Glenn McGrath. But the time he spent watching him bowl on YouTube has been matched on the field by trying to emulate McGrath’s virtues.”He was known to keep hitting the deck with the perfect seam,” Kamboj says. “That’s what I’ve grown up learning to do. Pace is one aspect, but if you can be accurate and hit the perfect seam, you can make the ball talk.”Kamboj comes from boxing heartland, Karnal in Haryana, and began playing on open fields. It wasn’t until he was 14 that he began to take the game seriously. And in less than a decade, Kamboj hasn’t just progressed to his state team but has also broken into the IPL.”The turning point was in 2019,” he says. “I had just played for India Under-19. That was when I discovered what it takes to be a professional. While I could play just one series [for India Under-19], it was an eye-opener in terms of the areas I needed to improve – the fitness, the skill aspect, conditioning, everything.”

“The two IPL games gave me a lot of learnings on what it takes to play at this level. Nothing prepares you for it. When you’re in the middle, the experience and lessons you learn by playing – you can’t get it anywhere.”Anshul Kamboj

Kamboj has played a lot of his cricket in Lahli, renowned to be a swing bowler’s paradise. But it’s here he learnt two things about fast bowling. “The importance of not getting carried away when everything is going your way, and the need to vary lengths as per the surface,” he says promptly.Earlier this year, Kamboj earned his maiden IPL contract when Mumbai Indians signed him at the auction. Having waited right until the end of the season for his opportunity, Kamboj had a memorable initiation.”I’ve replayed that a fair few times in my head,” he laughs when asked of his IPL debut.After being slapped for six off his second delivery, Kamboj flattened Travis Head’s off stump three balls later, only to find out he had overstepped. Head would dispatch him to the boundary off the next two deliveries.”It was heartbreaking, I felt so bad. Everyone tried to calm me down quickly and told me to forget about it. How could I? You dream of playing in this tournament and when your first wicket is off a no-ball, it’s a terrible feeling.”There was more frustration in store when Head was dropped off his bowling in his second over. But agony turned into ecstasy two balls later, when he clean bowled Mayank Agarwal – “with a hit-the-deck delivery” – for his maiden IPL wicket.”The two IPL games gave me a lot of learnings on what it takes to play at this level. Nothing prepares you for it. When you’re in the middle, the experience and lessons you learn by playing – you can’t get it anywhere.”It’s almost always assumed a young player talks up his India ambitions when asked of the road ahead, but Kamboj is different.”We’ve won the Vijay Hazare, the Ranji Trophy is the next big goal,” he says. “We’ve won the title only once. I want to help us win another Ranji crown. And if I can keep improving from every game, it’ll go a long way in this journey towards contributing to Haryana’s success.”

Don Mattingly finally reached the World Series this year as the Blue Jays bench coach, as the Yankees great had never reached the Fall Classic during his playing years as a coach until this season.

However, the World Series ended in heartbreak for Toronto’s players, fans and Mattingly as the Dodgers beat them in a thrilling Game 7 to take home the trophy. Since that game on Saturday, Mattingly has decided to move on from the Blue Jays, but has no intention of retiring from baseball, ’s Jon Heyman reported on Thursday. Heyman noted that the two sides part on “excellent” terms and that there appears to be no animosity.

Mattingly is open to exploring new opportunities in the MLB coaching landscape. We’ll see where, and if, he lands with a franchise this offseason.

One of the positions he’s open to is a return to managing. Right now, only the Rockies and Padres still have open manager roles. He previously managed the Dodgers from 2011 to ’15, and the Marlins from 2016 to ’22. He landed in Toronto as a bench coach under John Schneider after his tenure in Miami. He made the playoffs four times as a manager, but never reached the World Series.

أعلن الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة برئاسة عمرو مصيلحي، موعد ومكان إقامة بطولتي السوبر المصري لكرة السلة للرجال والسيدات.

ومن المقرر أن تقام بطولة كأس السوبر المصري – سيدات بين فريقي الأهلي وسبورتنج، يوم 21 ديسمبر الجاري على صالة الدكتور حسن مصطفى بمدينة السادس من أكتوبر، في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

طالع|خاص | تطور جديد بشأن مراسم تتويج الأهلي بدوري المرتبط لكرة السلة

بينما تقرر إقامة مباراة كأس السوبر المصري – رجال يوم 27 ديسمبر الجاري والتي تجمع الأهلي بطل الدوري والاتحاد بطل كأس مصر.

وتقام مباراة سوبر الرجال على صالة هيئة قناة السويس بمدينة االإسماعيلية، في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

The Yankees made a move to fortify their pitching staff Thursday, signing veteran righty Paul Blackburn to a major league deal, per a team announcement.

Blackburn, 31, was designated for assignment by the Mets earlier this month, and has made seven pitching appearances, including four starts, in 2025. He struggled during his time with the Mets, leading to his release. This season, he owns a 6.85 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 18 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings.

The right-hander was an All-Star as recently as 2022, when he pitched for the Athletics. That year, Blackburn had a 4.28 ERA with 89 strikeouts and 30 walks across 21 outings.

In a corresponding move after signing and activating Blackburn to the active roster, the Yankees optioned right-handed pitcher Allan Winans to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Blackburn is in his ninth MLB season, and the Yankees will be the third team he's played for in his career. He's made a total of 93 appearances and 86 starts in the league, and owns a 4.96 ERA.

Blackburn will likely pitch out of the bullpen in the Bronx, and he'll join a bullpen consisting of Luke Weaver, David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Mark Leiter Jr., Tim Hill and Yerry De los Santos.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is once again forced into playing without a natural striking option following Viktor Gyokeres’ injury, and while the early signs have been fairly positive that it’s nothing too serious, supporters could have reason to be slightly worried.

Gyokeres is currently undergoing scans on the problem as the north Londoners await results of more definitive testing.

The Sweden international, who was left out of Graham Potter’s national team squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Slovenia this month, missed Arsenal’s 3-0 win away to Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday after being hauled off against Burnley last weekend.

Mikel Merino, who has scored 11 goals in all competitions this calendar year, deputised as a makeshift number nine once again to great effect as the Spaniard’s brace helped to clinch all three points in the Czech Republic.

However, Arteta won’t want to rely on Merino for an overly extensive period as he did last season, despite the midfielder’s excellent performances up top, as Arsenal’s manager has been adamant that Gyokeres makes his side even more unpredictable.

This injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Gyokeres personally, as the £55 million summer signing was just hitting a good run of form with three goals in his last three games — just after the centre-forward went seven matches without scoring in all competitions.

Arsenal 5-0 Leeds United

8.84

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

7.97

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

7.68

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

6.69

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

6.68

via WhoScored

The former Sporting CP star, according to insider Hand of Arsenal and other reliable sources this week, is expected back in time for Arsenal’s crunch North London derby clash against Tottenham near the end of this month — which will come as music to the ears of fans.

Journalist explains why he's worried for Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal

That being said, Arteta has still admitted that he’s quite concerned, potentially suggesting the aforementioned timeframe isn’t set in stone as Gyokeres awaits further test results.

Taking this into account, journalist Charles Watts has told Sports Mole that he’s still “worried” about Gyokeres’ condition and Arsenal face a “massive blow” if it is indeed hamstring-related.

Once Gyokeres does return to full fitness, which Arteta hopes will be in time for Tottenham, it is also imperative that the striker isn’t rushed back unnecessarily.

His readiness to be thrust straight back into action will be key and Arsenal won’t be keen on taking any chances, especially after their plethora of attacking injuries lately.

أشاد خوسيه ماريا جوتي، أسطورة نادي ريال مدريد، بقدرات موهبة الفريق، موضحًا أنه مختلف عن بقية اللاعبين في اللوس بلانكوس.

ويمتلك ريال مدريد في الوقت الحالي، تشكيلة بها العديد من العناصر الشابة ومن بين أبرزها أردا جولر.

ويرى جوتي في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “تليجراف”، أن جولر لاعب قادر على صناعة الفارق مع ريال مدريد بشكل دائم.

وقال جوتي: ”أراه يبلي بلاءً حسنًا، إنه لاعب مختلف عن أي لاعب آخر في ريال مدريد، هناك العديد من اللاعبين بنفس مستواه، يتمتعون بجودة عالية ولياقة بدنية رائعة لكن بدون التمريرة الحاسمة التي يمتلكها، إنه الوحيد الذي يتمتع بتلك الميزة الخاصة، تلك القدرة على الوصول إلى مناطق التسجيل وتسجيل الأهداف، تشابي سيضع ثقته فيه وسيكون موسمًا رائعًا له”.

وتحدث جوتي كذلك عن مدرب ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، حيث أضاف: ”عندما وصل تشابي، قال إنه سيلعب بطرق مختلفة، بثلاثة مدافعين أو بأربعة مدافعين، أو 4-3-3، هذه هي قدرة المدرب العظيم على التكيف مع الفريق الرائع الذي يملكه، في المباريات القليلة الأولى كان يراقب كل لاعب وقد بدأ يتكيف، لا أعرف إن كانت آخر مباراة للفريق هي التشكيلة الأساسية المثالية، أو النظام المثالي، لكنها نجحت بشكل رائع في سان ماميس”.

وعن المقارنة بين تشكيلة ريال مدريد الحالية وجالاكتيكوس الفريق في عصر جوتي أجاب لاعب خط الوسط السابق: ”فريق ريال مدريد هذا أكثر تكاملاً من فريق الجالاكتيكوس، لقد أحدث الجالاكتيكوس ضجة كبيرة، لكنهم لم يفوزوا بكل ما كان ينبغي عليهم تحقيقه، آمل أن يحقق ريال مدريد هذا الإنجازات المهمة”.

وعن المقارنة بين نجم ريال مدريد الحالي، كيليان مبابي، وأسطورة الفريق الملكي، كريستيانو رونالدو، أردف جوتي: ”لن يتفوق أحد على كريستيانو رونالدو، إنه لاعب صنع تاريخًا في ريال مدريد وفي كرة القدم بفضل ثبات مستواه، هذا هو أهم شيء لأي لاعب يريد إزاحة كريستيانو وميسي عن عرشهما، اللذين أعتبرهما في نفس المستوى”.

وتابع: ”لا جدوى من خوض عشر مباريات جيدة ثم عدم الظهور في الوقت المناسب، هذان اللاعبان رونالدو وميسي كانا دائمًا على مستوى التوقعات. هذا هو التحدي الذي يواجه مبابي، أو لامين، أو أي شخص آخر يرغب في الاقتراب منهما”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. مدرب إسبانيا يحسم الجدل بشأن أزمة يامال وكارفاخال

وعن اعتماد ريال مدريد بشكل مبالغ فيه على مبابي، استكمل جوتي: ”لا ينبغي أن يكون الأمر كذلك، ريال مدريد يمتلك لاعبين رائعين، فينيسيوس، بيلينجهام، بإمكانهم، بل ينبغي عليهما تسجيل الكثير من الأهداف، صحيح أنهما يساهمان في أداء الفريق لكن لا ينبغي لريال مدريد الاعتماد فقط على أهداف مبابي”.

وعن إمكانية تحطيم مبابي لأرقام رونالدو القياسية، استطرد: ”سيحدث هذا مهما حدث، نحن نشهد نسخة مذهلة من مبابي، إنه يفوق مستوى بقية لاعبي الفريق، بفضله يفوز ريال مدريد بالمباريات وهذا يجعله قائدًا للفريق، يجب على كيليان أن يواصل هذا النهج ليضم المزيد من اللاعبين ويشهد تتويج ريال مدريد بالدوري”.

وعن حادثة الكلاسيكو بين فينيسيوس وألونسو، قال جوتي: ”لا يقلقني الأمر، لاعبو كرة القدم دائمًا ما يرغبون في اللعب وعندما يستبدلون ينزعجون، هذا أمر مفهوم والمدرب يعلم ذلك، لكن هذا لمصلحة اللاعب”.

وأضاف: ”كثيرًا ما ننتقد عدد المباريات التي يخوضها اللاعبون خلال العام، المهم ليس أن يكونوا في قمة مستواهم الآن، بل أن يكونوا في قمة مستواهم عند المنافسة على الألقاب، يسعى تشابي جاهدًا لضمان أن يكون كل لاعب في قمة مستواه في اللحظات الحاسمة، عندما يكون الفريق في قمة المنافسة”.

وعن ما إذا كان ألونسو قد تعامل بشكل جيد مع تصرف فينيسيوس في الكلاسيكو، اختتم جوتي حديثه: ”الأمر لا يتعلق بالحزم أو اللين بل بالتصرف الصحيح، في كثير من الأحيان عليك أن ترفع يدك لأن اللاعب يطلب منك ذلك، أو لأن اللحظة مناسبة، وعندما يتعين عليك أن تكون صارمًا عليك أن تكون كذلك”.

وأتم: ”تشابي يعرف كيف يتعامل مع كلا الموقفين، عندما حدث ما حدث مع برشلونة كان لديه ذلك اللين ليواصل ثقته به، فهو يعلم أن فينيسيوس لاعب مهم لريال مدريد”.

What a difference seven months makes.

Just minutes into his career as a Yankee back in April, Devin Williams experienced the fanbase's impatience firsthand, as he heard boos while he navigated some self-inflicted traffic on the basepaths to notch his first save with New York on Opening Day. But despite a topsy-turvy first year in pinstripes, Williams is now at his best when it matters most—and when the fans care the most—in the postseason.

So, after Williams worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings in the Yankees' thrilling comeback victory Tuesday, the fans rewarded his efforts with a sound he likely thought he wouldn't be hearing for awhile back in the throes of his troublesome April: a standing ovation.

After the game, Williams was asked what it meant to hear the cheers from the Yankees fanbase.

"Yeah it's awesome," Williams said. "It's nice to feel appreciated sometimes. That was definitely a lot better than what I've heard for much of the year."

From April until the end of August, Williams, who pitched to a 4.99 ERA, looked nothing like the two-time All-Star and National League Reliever of the Year that he is. But since allowing four earned runs to the Astros in a Sept. 3 loss, Williams has been lights-out.

He hasn't surrendered an earned run during that span while recording a sparkling 35.3% strikeout rate compared to a 5.9% walk rate. His signature pitch, the changeup nicknamed the Airbender, has returned to its usual unhittable form.

"My mindset's never changed throughout this whole year," Williams said. "I just kept showing up and now I'm getting the results I want right now."

Following his mid-season arrival at Manchester City, Nico Gonzalez went through the strange experience of being hailed as an oven-ready replacement for Rodri during his first week at the Etihad Stadium, only to then be ignored by Pep Guardiola during the most important stretch of the campaign. Any fears, however, that he would become an expensive flop have since disappeared, with Gonzalez having stepped back in to anchor City's resurgence as they emerge as Arsenal’s main rivals in the Premier League title race.

The midfielder, who is known just as Nico to his team-mates even though he has a namesake in the squad in Nico O’Reilly, looked like a luxury signing when he arrived from Porto for £50 million ($65m) on transfer deadline day back in February 3. The son of Deportivo La Coruna legend Fran and a Barcelona academy graduate, Gonzalez arrived as a barely disguised stand-in for Rodri while the Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder continued his recovery from an ACL injury.

Guardiola did not try to hide it, hailing the new signing as ‘Mini-Rodri’ after an excellent Premier League debut against Newcastle in which he towered above everyone else in midfield and laid the platform for fellow January addition Omar Marmoush to shine in a crushing 4-0 win. It has not been an entirely smooth ride since, but in the last couple of months Gonzalez has developed into one of City’s most important players as they prepare to face the Magpies again on Saturday.

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  Big presence

  Although he was raised in Barcelona’s La Masia academy and raised by one of Spain’s most technical footballers in his father, Guardiola appeared to value Gonzalez’s physical attributes the most when he first watched him up close. 

  "The presence of Nico helped a lot, the 50-50s. If there are 10 balls. he wins seven of them," the coach said after the Spaniard’s impressive debut against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium. "He's like a mini-Rodri. It's a big compliment. He's miles away from Rodri, he's the best, but we have the feeling he'll help us in the last part of the season with his presence."

  Guardiola started Gonzalez in City's next five league games, although he couldn’t quite build on his exploits against Newcastle, as the dethroned champions lost to Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, leaving them with a fight on their hands to finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League.

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  Bottom of the pile

  Yet in the thick of that battle, Guardiola preferred other options. Gonzalez was an unused substitute for the derby at Manchester United in April and for the crunch game with Aston Villa later that month, which was effectively a shootout for a place in the top-five. In the end, he started just three of the eight matches in the Premier League run-in. 

  Gonzalez, meanwhile, played a grand total of 37 minutes in City's run to the FA Cup final, getting one minute in the semi against Forest and none in the defeat to Crystal Palace at Wembley – and that was despite Mateo Kovacic being out injured. Gonzalez’s situation did not improve at the Club World Cup, where he appeared in just one of City’s four games as Rodri returned to the fold.

  Gonzalez’s lack of playing time led to reports that the player was open to cutting short his stay and leaving in the summer. However, that is understood to not be true, with sources insisting Gonzalez had no interest in leaving. City instead decreased their squad size by offloading Ilkay Gundogan, among others.

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  Seizing his chance

  Gonzalez started the first two games of the new season before retaking his place on the bench at Brighton when Rodri came back in following another injury setback. But with the 29-year-old’s return from knee surgery continuing to be disrupted by a series of niggling issues, Gonzalez got another chance and seized it. 

  He has started nine of City’s last 12 games in all competitions and has arguably been their most important player in the last two months, with the obvious exception of Erling Haaland.

  "It’s not easy sometimes arriving in a new club and playing a different style to maybe playing in the past," Guardiola said of Gonzalez last month. "But we’re really pleased with his behaviour and I’m pretty (sure) he’ll get better and better."

  Gonzalez is far from the first player to need a transition season when getting to grips with Guardiola's methods. Jack Grealish, Josko Gvardiol and even Rodri are just some of the big-money signings who took their time to adapt to City’s way of playing. Gonzalez, though, appears to close to cracking the code within 10 months of first playing under the Catalan coach.

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  Fundamental

  While Gonzalez fell behind Kovacic, Gundogan and occasionally Bernardo Silva and even Kevin De Bruyne in the holding midfield role last season, he is now only second to Rodri, who last started a game on October 5 and who has only played 60 or more minutes on five occasions this season.

  "Right now, the first option when Rodri cannot play is absolutely Nico Gonzalez," Guardiola said before City’s game against Bournemouth earlier this month. He went on to dominate that match, playing important roles in both of Haaland’s goals by progressing the ball.

  Gonzalez also impressed in City’s 2-0 win over Everton in October and in the Carabao Cup win over Swansea City, brushing off an error that led to the opponents scoring by shepherding City to a comeback win.

  "Now he’s fundamental for us," said Guardiola after City’s win in South Wales. "He’s so young, a lovely guy. I’m really pleased because these types of football players that are incredibly coachable – they deserve the best."