Pep Guardiola has stated he will not be having a word with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma about his disciplinary record, insisting the Italian is "adult enough" to manage the situation himself. The Manchester City shot-stopper is walking a tightrope, having collected four yellow cards in his first ten Premier League appearances for the club.
Donnarumma's Disciplinary Tightrope
The 26-year-old summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain is now just one booking away from an automatic one-match suspension. An unprecedented ban is in sight, as no goalkeeper in Premier League history has ever been suspended for accumulating five cautions inside the first 19 matches of a season. While twelve keepers have received five or more yellows in a single campaign, none reached that tally quickly enough to trigger a ban.
Donnarumma's offences have been a mix of dissent and time-wasting. Three of his four bookings, including one during last Saturday's dramatic 3-2 victory over Leeds United, were for arguing with officials. When questioned if he would speak to his player about tempering his conduct, Guardiola was unequivocal.
"No, he is adult enough," the City manager asserted. "For sure, we will step-by-step understand things in the league and new behaviours." This places the responsibility squarely on the experienced Italy international to avoid a costly suspension for his new team.
Guardiola's Lifelong Hope for Foden
While discussing discipline, Guardiola's tone shifted to one of admiration when the topic turned to Phil Foden. The academy graduate was the hero against Leeds, scoring a brace that included the match-winning goal. With Foden's current contract set to expire in the summer of 2027, Guardiola expressed a profound desire for the player's long-term future.
"Hopefully he can stay all his career here," Guardiola said. "He is a special player, a Man City fan from the academy." The manager also backed Foden to significantly increase his goal output this season. Currently on three league goals from eleven appearances—second at the club only to the prolific Erling Haaland's fourteen—Guardiola believes Foden can once again approach the high teens.
"The years where we've been successful, not just the strikers [but] especially wingers, attacking midfielders [score many]," Guardiola explained, highlighting the need for goals from across the forward line. "So we need that."
Team News and Midweek Challenge
Looking ahead, City will be without a key figure for their next fixture. Midfielder Rodri remains sidelined for Tuesday's trip to Fulham due to a hamstring problem, a continued absence that tests the squad's depth.
All eyes, however, will be on Donnarumma at Craven Cottage. His next six matches represent a critical period where he must demonstrate the maturity Guardiola expects to avoid becoming an unwanted footnote in Premier League history.
