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Enzo Maresca now doubles down on his Gianluigi Donnarumma stance after latest Man City "mistake"
Enzo Maresca doubles down on Donnarumma stance after latest Man City "mistake"
© Imago / DeFodi Images, News Images

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has defended Gianluigi Donnarumma once again following another costly mistake during their 3-2 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

The Italian goalkeeper was criticised after allowing Ridle Baku's effort to beat him at the near post, adding to a growing list of errors this season.

However, Maresca has shown little indication that he intends to reconsider his first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Saturday's trip to face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in the Premier League.

What has Enzo Maresca said about Gianluigi Donnarumma's future?

Donnarumma came under scrutiny after City's latest Champions League victory, having been unable to prevent Baku from equalising shortly after half-time.

The mistake followed previous errors against Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain, raising questions about the 27-year-old's consistency since arriving at the Etihad Stadium.

However, Maresca insisted that the incident was not a major concern, highlighting the goalkeeper's ability to produce important saves at the other end.

"It's not a concern, but it's a mistake," the City manager told reporters, via the BBC. "He recognises, he knows that it's a mistake. And now, in 48 hours, we have Nottingham Forest away, and we need to be focused on that."

Maresca was also asked whether the upcoming international break could provide an opportunity to reconsider his goalkeeping options, but again defended Donnarumma.

"I'm not thinking about the goalkeeper situation," he said. "We're talking about a mistake, but a few minutes before, he's done a save that any keeper in the world, they're not going to do that save!"

The City boss added that Donnarumma knows his performance was "not good" enough but believes he will improve in the coming weeks.

Should Maresca drop Donnarumma vs Forest?

Donnarumma's recent errors are becoming difficult to ignore, particularly given his struggles with distribution and dealing with crosses into the penalty area.

However, Maresca's options behind the Italian are not particularly convincing, making a change difficult to justify.

City allowed James Trafford to leave during the summer, despite the Englishman's potential, and arguably made their own situation more complicated by not retaining a capable alternative.

Geronimo Rulli remains the back-up, and despite penalty heroics against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup, Maresca has already made clear that Donnarumma is his undisputed first choice.

The Italian's shot-stopping ability is also a major asset, as demonstrated by several outstanding interventions this season.

Despite the mistakes, it is difficult to envisage Maresca dropping Donnarumma anytime soon. The 6 foot 5 shot-stopper needs to improve his consistency, but City may have to persist with him given their current alternatives.

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