Cherki Frames Aït-Nouri Omission Before Bournemouth

cherki sits beside a sharper Manchester City question now: Rayan Aït-Nouri was left out of the squad again for the match at Bournemouth, three days after missing the FA Cup final group against Chelsea. The left back has not been ruled out by a physical issue, so Pep Guardiola’s selection calls are doing the talking.

Guardiola Leaves Aït-Nouri Out

That second omission came after Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday, when Aït-Nouri was also absent. He then stayed out of the group for the away trip to Bournemouth, a decision that points to a technical choice rather than an availability problem.

The sequence matters because City are still in a close Premier League title race with Arsenal, and Guardiola is trimming his options for decisive fixtures. Aït-Nouri joined last summer and was signed to settle into the squad over time, but the manager has not turned to him in the season’s biggest matches.

Aït-Nouri’s City Numbers

The left back has played 27 matches in all competitions this season, with 20 starts and four assists. Those are useful numbers for a first campaign, yet they sit beside a reality that is harder to ignore: he was not trusted for either the FA Cup final or the Bournemouth trip.

His contract runs until June 2030, which means City are not making a short-term call with him. They are deciding how much room he has in the current run-in, and the recent team sheets suggest that room is small when the stakes rise.

Arsenal Race, Aston Villa Finish

City’s last league match of the season is scheduled for Sunday against Aston Villa. By then, the pattern around Aït-Nouri will be clear enough for one simple read: he has been available, but Guardiola has left him on the outside twice in a row when selection mattered most.