“You have to be careful!” – Pep Guardiola offers Jeremy Doku fitness warning as Man City season intensifies

Pep Guardiola has delivered his verdict on Manchester City newcomer Jérémy Doku’s start to life at the club, providing a warning on his game management.

The Belgian international made the move to the Etihad Stadium from Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais towards the end of the summer transfer window for a reported transfer fee of £55 million, and has certainly hit the ground running.

While attacking players like Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez among others have taken time to bed into Pep Guardiola’s team, Jeremy Doku has settled in nicely, playing just over 200 minutes across three appearances for the club so far.

Against West Ham in the Premier League last weekend, the winger showed just what he is capable of, scoring the leveller that spurred Manchester City’s comeback amidst a stellar performance at the London Stadium.

Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest this weekend, manager Pep Guardiola delivered his verdict on Jeremy Doku’s quick start for the Etihad outfit, but warned that club staff may have to manage his game time carefully.

“He’s adjusted really, really well his physicality,” Pep Guardiola explained. “He’s not used to playing three games in a week at Rennes. And in the past, you have to be careful, we have to see how he recovers from games being there for 90 minutes, and if in basically three days later he is able to play again.

“We have to know each-other, he has to know his body. But he adapted really well, in the dressing room he’s a lovely, lovely guy. As a winger in the final third, he has a special quality that we try to use him for that.”

Guardiola continued, “All the games we have to do the process that we want to do, and after we finish with them, okay I have my full-back to go against you as much as possible. This is what we’re going to try to do, and he’s going to try to help us in this department.”

Jeremy Doku hitting the ground running has been helped by an early season injury to Jack Grealish, leaving Manchester City thin on the wings. But the 23-year-old has made the most of his opportunity and will likely continue to play big minutes following news that Bernardo Silva could be out for a few games.

Doku’s ability to take on his opposition marker with pace and decisiveness, combined with his composure to find the correct pass at the by-line, brings a very different threat to Manchester City’s attacking dimension.