Pellegrini: Why Iheanacho isn’t playing regularly

Manchester City’s 19-year-old Nigerian forward, Kelechi Iheanacho looks set for a successful career, with Coach Manuel Pellegrini   needs to offer him more chances to show what he can do.

Iheanacho

City can look forward to a League Cup semi-final with Everton in the new year after their comprehensive win over Hull City. Perhaps the only negative was the omission from the starting line-up of Iheanacho, City’s most promising young player and the star of their win over Crystal Palace in the previous round.

He came off the bench with 20 minutes remaining against Steve Bruce’s side and scored his third goal of the season, but given the quality of his fleeting performances throughout the season most people felt sure he would play the full 90 minutes. It begs the question: where are Iheanacho’s chances coming from if he can’t get a start in the League Cup?

“It’s very difficult with young players. It’s very important not to think because you arrive with the first team you are ready as a professional player. He [Iheanacho] is a player that must work a lot but I think he’s a player that has important options in the future.

Where he arrives will depend on how he takes his chances.” Caution with young players is perfectly understandable, particularly at City where the level required to make the transition from academy to first team is so high. However, Pellegrini is in danger of holding a player back who appears nailed on to become a first-team regular.