Mariska hints at giving Ayyoub Bouaddi a bigger role with Manchester City

Enzo Maresca, Manchester City manager, has hinted at the possibility of giving Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi greater opportunities to participate in the upcoming period, following his performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.

Ayyoub Bouaddi came on as a substitute at the start of the second half of the match, when Manchester City were trailing by three goals to nil at home, replacing Rayan, in a switch that allowed Enzo Fernández to move into a more attacking position.

Mariska, in comments reported by the Manchester Evening News, said: "Ayyoub is a great player, first and foremost. The good thing about Ayyoub is that when he is on the pitch, he helps the players around him to develop as well, and that is what great players do. The players who move around him become better, and that is my impression of Ayyoub, as I feel that all the players around him become better. There are players who perform better when they play alongside certain players."

The Italian coach added, commenting on the team's need for more strength in midfield against top teams: "I don't think we can be exposed. I believe there are matches where you probably need a bit more strength and drive in the midfield, but that doesn't mean you need three defensive midfielders, as you can also play with midfielders who have an attacking inclination, like Rayan or Phil, but it somewhat depends on the game plan."

He continued: "In this match, I chose a style that relied less on physical strength and more on technical skill with Rayan present, but perhaps against teams of this kind, you need to be very strong, especially in midfield, as they have outstanding players like Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz, Zaire Emery, and João Neves."

Mariska concluded his remarks by saying: "But I believe again that the problems in the first half were for different reasons, however, Bouaddi, Enzo Fernández, and Elliot Anderson could provide a solution in the future."

Ayyoub Bouaddi has joined Manchester City from Lille for £85 million, according to reports, as part of the club's plan to strengthen their midfield following Rodri's departure in the summer. The 19-year-old has only started two matches since joining, with Mariska relying more on Fernández and Anderson, but his performance against Paris Saint-Germain may open the door for him to take on a bigger role in the team's lineup.