Fernandinho Injury – A Bad News That Could Derail Manchester City’s Campaign
Mancester City defensive midfielder, Fernandinho as been dropped by the Brazilian national team coach, Dunga from their coming matches against Argentina and Japan during the coming International break due to an injury he suffered in the game against Aston Villa which City won by a 2-0 margin.
He limped off the pitch after 56 minutes of play and has been diagnosed of having a hamstring problem. But City hopes that he will be fit to feature against Tottenham Hotspurs in their next Premiership fixture. Since he has been dropped from his national side’s coming matches, he is expected to remain in Manchester for treatment to speed up his recovery.
The 29 year old as played for City in all of their games since the beginning of the season despite resuming late for pre-season. He was given time off because of his participation for Brazil at the world cup but has been a key member of City’s team this season. The player was an unsung hero in the City team which won the Premier League title last season because of the influence of his midfield partner, Yaya Toure.
Of a truth, some players play roles which make people overlook their input in the team’s efforts. Their impact is only felt when they eventually miss 1/2 games either through injury or suspension. It is then that it becomes apparent that they are a very important part of the team but grievously overlooked.
Fernandinho is one of the oft overlooked players in the City line-up. His efforts on the pitch is often overshadowed by his midfield partner, Toure who always receive the plaudits for his goals, assists and pass during the game.
Controlling the midfield is a very important aspect of the game. Some refer to this part of the field as the engine room of the team. The failure of a team to control this part of the pitch will have a disastrous effect on the team’s attacking and defensive intent. What is done with the ball in this part of the pitch determines the tune of the game. It is through the midfield that the pitch is controlled and this is the secret to City’s recent run of success.
They have been playing Yaya Toure and Fernandinho as their central midfield pair and the former is given permission to bomb forward while the latter is often left to cover for his partner. Whenever this happens, Fernandinho has been able to hold-up to the duty without grudge.
He is known to be a very intelligent midfielder who could be ranked among the top players in that department in world football. His duty on the pitch can be split into two either defensively where he is expected to break-up the opposition’s lunge forward and be a link between the defense and the attack of the team.
He is a tough tackler and makes the highest number of interceptions during play. He also has a good positional sense where he forces the opposition to slow down its attack. He is also a great link between the defenders and the attackers. He receives passes from the centre backs and release it to either Toure or the attacking duo of Samir Nasri or David Silva.
Without a player who understands the team’s modus operandi on the pitch, City will definitely suffer if he goes on a lengthy injury break especially now that Toure as dropped in form.