Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed confidence in defender Abdukodir Khusanov, despite the 20-year-old making a blunder on his Premier League debut for Chelsea's goal before City came from behind to make it 3-1.
Signed from French side Lens earlier this week, the 20-year-old from Uzbekistan looked distraught at times at the Etihad Stadium and gave Chelsea the lead with a miscalculated return to the keeper in the third minute.
"It's not easy for him. He trains once and then plays against Nicholas Jackson and Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho, it's a process when you buy a player that young. He'll learn. The problem at the moment is that he doesn't know a word of English and apparently I have to speak to him in Russian or Uzbek," Guardiola said.
"We have been struggling recently and it has been a difficult, tough season. Most of the players have been here for eight or nine years and I am not going to change my mind in two months", Guardiola explained.
"We have to realise that what we are doing is not enough - I ask them to step up and we did. We created enough chances to score goals and in the end I am very happy with the victory," he added.
Guardiola also gave a debut to 25-year-old Egyptian striker Omar Marmouch, who immediately joined the rest of the team, despite only arriving from German side Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek.
"Really good. That connection with the other players and incredible movement. "It's the first game and he's coping with the change and making incredible moves," Guardiola said.