Teenage midfielder in line for Champions League debut
Ayyoub Bouaddi's wait for a first Manchester City start could end on Tuesday night. The 18-year-old Moroccan is among those Enzo Maresca has earmarked for minutes against FC Porto at the Estádio do Dragão.
Bouaddi has so far had to settle for two brief substitute appearances since his arrival from Lille. Speaking after Saturday's 1-0 win over Coventry City, Maresca made clear his intentions for the trip to Portugal.
“The first game is on Tuesday. So the focus has to be on the Tuesday game, then after that we focus on the next one,” the City boss said.
He went further, naming Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye and Ryan McAidoo as players he hopes to involve. “I think with Ayoubb, with Ryan McAidoo, as you said, Iliman Ndiaye they probably haven’t played in the Champions League yet. But they need to start. So on Tuesday they’re going to start getting minutes in the Champions League,” Maresca added.
There is a logic to the rotation. City face upwards of 60 games this season, and Maresca has stressed the need to get minutes into the players the club have brought in. Tuesday offers a chance to do exactly that without taking too much of a gamble.
Bouaddi, for his part, is no stranger to this stage. He tasted Champions League football during his time at Lille, even if those experiences came in a different shirt.
At 18, he represents the kind of long-term investment City have increasingly favoured. The question is whether the Estádio do Dragão provides the right stage for his first start — or whether Maresca's hand is forced by the sheer size of the campaign ahead.
Either way, the message from the manager is clear enough. The days of Bouaddi watching from the bench are numbered.