Masuaku and Yarmolenko update

There was a surprise on Saturday when both Arthur Masuaku and Andriy Yarmolenko were left out of the matchday squad to face Manchester City of the opening fixture of the Premier League season. It had been assumed by many that one or both of them had been left off the substitutes bench through injury but that was not the case.

Both were excluded from the eighteen man squad for selection reasons as the manager decided to prioritise other positions on the bench instead of them.

Roberto, Carlos Sanchez, Angelo Ogbonna, Robert Snodgrass, Pablo Fornals, Javier Hernandez and Pablo Zabaleta were the seven players to make the bench.

Saturday’s proves just what a selection headache Manuel Pellegrini has this season when Yarmolenko and Masuaku don’t even to make the matchday squad.

With Albian Ajeti and Gonçalo Cardoso yet to properly join the first team squad, we are likely to see more competition of one of those eighteen valuable places come match day.