Manchester City's Phil Foden, right, and Brahim Diaz, left, are two of the more promising youngsters on Manchester City's books. Phil Noble / Reuters
Manchester City's Phil Foden, right, and Brahim Diaz, left, are two of the more promising youngsters on Manchester City's books. Phil Noble / Reuters

Pep Guardiola says exciting Manchester City youngsters will get more chances if they deserve it



Pep Guardiola insists further chances will come for the likes of Phil Foden at Manchester City - if they deserve it.

Foden, the highly rated City Academy product and star of England's recent Under 17 World Cup win, was handed his first-team debut as a second-half substitute against Feyenoord in midweek.

Brahim Diaz, another exciting teenage prospect, was also given a late taste of the action.

Their opportunities may have arisen because City's progress to the Uefa Champions League last 16 allowed Guardiola to rotate his squad in the group fixture, but the manager says they could now earn more chances.

He said: "If we give an opportunity to young players it is because they deserve it. That is the most important thing.

"But one young player, you can say we helped them when they play regularly. If they play one or two games and then disappear that is nothing.

"It depends on our confidence and their confidence but the rest always depends on them. People say it depends on the manager but it depends on the players.

"The quality, how they live their professional lives, how they are - it is simple like that."

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Read more:

Richard Jolly: Future looks bright for Manchester City in Diaz and Foden

Reports: Manchester City snatch late win against Feyenoord

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Guardiola has a good record of promoting youth players from his past spells in charge of Barcelona.

That is something he is proud of but says he selects such players "because they are good, not for my statistics".

It seems unlikely either Foden, 17, or 18-year-old Spaniard Diaz will be involved as City look to maintain their flying start to the Premier League season at Huddersfield Town on Sunday.

City have collected 34 points from a maximum 36 and have won their last 17 matches in all competitions.

Goalkeeper Ederson has been one of the key components in City's success, bringing assured performances and bolstering confidence in the defence since his £35 million (Dh172m) summer move from Benfica.

Guardiola said of the Brazilian: "When you buy one player from another country and he comes here, always in the first moment you [wonder] how are they going to react, settle the family, house, kids, school.

"It's a process and sometimes it is not easy for some players but he has settled quite good.

"He is so calm. In the bad moments and the good moments it is always the same behaviour and that gives us a lot of confidence."

In Sunday's early matches, Sean Dyche's seventh-placed Burnley take on sixth-placed Arsenal at Turf Moor with Dyche's men on the same number of points (22) as their more illustrious rivals while Everton travel to Southampton in the early kick off.

Simran

Director Hansal Mehta

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey

Three stars

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Brief scoreline:

Toss: South Africa, elected to bowl first

England (311-8): Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51; Ngidi 3-66

South Africa (207): De Kock 68, Van der Dussen 50; Archer 3-27, Stokes 2-12

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners