Josko Gvardiol appears to have put his injury troubles behind him and is now thriving in his preferred defensive role for Manchester City, despite manager Enzo Maresca having an abundance of options in central defence.
The Croatian international suffered a broken leg last season that kept him sidelined for five months, opening the door for academy graduate Nico O'Reilly to fill in at left-back, a position outside his natural game. With Gvardiol now back to full fitness, O'Reilly has slipped to the bench, though Maresca has reassured the 21-year-old that chances will come in his favoured midfield role.
Those close to Gvardiol describe him as a "soldier" figure within the squad, someone who accepts whatever role he is given and commits fully to it. He is said to be content with Maresca's decision to deploy him at left-back and believes his tactical understanding of the game has grown significantly since his move to the Premier League.
Speaking to reporters over the summer, Gvardiol admitted it would take "at least a year before everything heals inside" following his leg break. He is now understood to be free of pain and performing at full match sharpness.
Since joining City from RB Leipzig in 2023 for a fee of £77m, making him the second-most expensive defender in football history behind Harry Maguire, Gvardiol has featured both in central defence and at left-back. According to sources, he regards left-back as more physically taxing than playing centrally, but one that suits him better because it gives him license to push forward, a trait that has produced several standout attacking contributions.
His attacking impact has already been evident this season. Gvardiol scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner in City's opening match against Bournemouth and has also chipped in with two assists, one of which set up Erling Haaland's contentious goal in City's derby win over Manchester United.
Yet it is not just his forward running that has caught the eye. In that same fixture at Old Trafford, City were forced to play with 10 men for the majority of the match after Phil Foden's 23rd-minute dismissal, and Gvardiol was central to holding out for a clean sheet. He won nine of his 11 individual duels, the most of any player on the pitch, and made four tackles, more than any other City player in the match. Across the Premier League season so far, he ranks seventh for duels won and sits among the top 10 for tackles.
His consistent performances have also limited opportunities for Rayan Ait-Nouri, who joined City from Wolves last summer specifically to compete at left-back but has instead found himself deployed in more advanced positions by Maresca.
Not every outing has been seamless. Gvardiol endured a difficult Champions League trip to Porto, picking up a booking before being substituted early in the second half, though this was viewed as an isolated off-day rather than a sign of deeper issues.
The defender underlined his commitment to the club during the close season by signing a new five-year contract, resisting reported interest from both Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Reflecting on the decision, Gvardiol said he was "happy" to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium, adding that under Maresca "everyone has to fight for their position, no-one is secure."
Given his current form, however, Gvardiol looks set to remain a fixture in City's starting XI for the foreseeable future.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.