Pep Guardiola has said he will not speak to Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma about his four yellow cards in 10 Premier League appearances, insisting the Italian is “adult enough” to adjust his behaviour. Three of the bookings have been for dissent, including in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Leeds, and the other for time-wasting.
If Donnarumma receives another caution in City’s next six league matches, he will become the first goalkeeper to serve a one-match ban for accumulating five Premier League bookings. While 12 goalkeepers have received five or more cautions in a Premier League season, none did so within the first 19 games, the threshold for a suspension.
Guardiola was asked whether he would discuss the issue with the 26-year-old summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain. “No, he is adult enough,” the manager said. “For sure, we will step-by-step understand things in the league and new behaviours.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola praised Phil Foden, who scored twice against Leeds, including the winner. The midfielder’s contract runs until 2027, and Guardiola said: “Hopefully he can stay all his career here. He is a special player, a Man City fan from the academy.”
Foden has three goals in 11 league appearances this season, second at City to Erling Haaland’s 14 in 13 games. Guardiola believes Foden can reach the high teens in goals, as he did two seasons ago with 19. “The years where we’ve been successful, not just the strikers [but] especially wingers, attacking midfielders [score many],” Guardiola said. “So we need that.”
Rodri remains unavailable for City’s trip to Fulham on Tuesday due to a hamstring problem.
