Ait-Nouri dropped from Man City squad for derby on tactical grounds, not injury

Rayan Ait-Nouri was omitted from Manchester City’s squad for Sunday’s Premier League victory at Old Trafford for tactical reasons rather than injury, with the wing-back expected to return to contention for City’s Carabao Cup tie against Norwich on Thursday.

Manager Enzo Maresca opted for Nico O’Reilly, who had just returned from injury, alongside Vitor Reis and Rico Lewis as defensive cover on the bench, while Allan and Iliman Ndiaye served as backup forward options. Ait-Nouri was simply not part of the plan for the derby.

The decision is the latest setback in a difficult start to the Algerian’s second season at the club. He had not played a single minute across City’s first three Premier League games, and was overlooked in favour of youngster Kaden Braithwaite even in the closing stages of the 4-1 win at Crystal Palace. On deadline day, his agent reportedly explored the possibility of a temporary move to Manchester United after it became clear he was struggling for minutes.

Ait-Nouri did feature in City’s Champions League trip to Porto in midweek, coming on in an advanced role and providing the assist for Erling Haaland’s second goal — but that contribution was not enough to earn him a place in the matchday squad four days later.

Maresca has also offered a telling insight into how he views the 25-year-old’s best position. “When he was at Wolves it was a back five, so more of a wing-back,” the manager said. “I see him more as a winger than a full-back, but it doesn’t mean in the future that if we need him as a full-back we are not going to use him.”

That framing places Ait-Nouri in direct competition with City’s wide forwards rather than their defensive options, narrowing his path to regular minutes further. Thursday’s cup fixture against Norwich now represents a significant opportunity for him to make a case to Maresca ahead of a congested fixture schedule.