Mateo Kovacic

Key strength: Work rate

Box-to-box midfielder

Second in the Premier League but experiencing a turbulent spell with form reading W-L-W-W-L, Manchester City find themselves in unfamiliar territory—yet one of their most technically gifted midfielders watches from the periphery. Mateo Kovačić, the 31-year-old Croatian maestro valued at £20 million, has been reduced to a bit-part role this season: just two appearances totaling 90 minutes, with zero goals and zero assists to his name. It's a puzzling scenario for a player whose press-resistant dribbling and metronomic passing (86 FIFA passing rating) once made him indispensable at Real Madrid and Chelsea. In a squad navigating patchy moments, Kovačić's ability to retain possession and progress play through tight spaces feels like an untapped resource. With Rodri, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva ahead of him in Pep Guardiola's pecking order, breaking into this star-studded midfield rotation has proven nearly impossible. As City chase the title from second place, the question becomes urgent: when will Guardiola turn to Kovačić's elegant orchestration to steady the ship and restore their championship rhythm?