Guardiola noted that Khusanov is training well and is fully focused on his work. "Everything here is new for him," the coach emphasized.
He added that he does not blame the player for mistakes made in the last match. "All central defenders make mistakes. It's important to show a high level, but that takes time. I should blame myself for making mistakes," Guardiola said.
He also mentioned that he did not criticize Khusanov for his unfortunate moments during the game against Chelsea.
"He had only one training session before the match and was playing in a new team, in a country with a different language. Under such conditions, even I would have wanted some help for my debut in the Premier League. That's what happened: the guys quickly reacted and supported him," Guardiola added.
The captain of Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne, also commented on Khusanov. "We had no defenders left, so Abdulkodir started against Chelsea. He struggled in the first five minutes, but then he settled in. He should be proud of handling this at just 20 years old," the midfielder noted.
The match between Manchester City and Arsenal will take place on February 2 at 21:30 Tashkent time.