Josko Gvardiol returns early and gives Manchester City a timely lift

Joško Gvardiol was back in Manchester City’s starting XI against Crystal Palace only two or three hours after he learned he would play. The defender had missed four months after breaking his tibia in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in January, but he lasted 58 minutes in the 3-0 win and came through his first appearance back without drama.

How the comeback happened

Gvardiol said the layoff felt longer while he was stuck watching from the sidelines. "It's been stressful. Really stressful," he told mirror.co.uk, and he added that being back with the squad makes the pressure easier to handle.

He was also clearer about the timeline than people outside the camp may have expected. "It's been four months. I thought that it was going to be longer, but I think four months is more than enough," he said. He added that the normal recovery window is between four and six months, which is probably the fairest frame for this comeback.

The performance itself was controlled rather than flashy. A 6.9 rating does not tell you everything, but it does fit the picture of a player getting minutes back into his legs without being rushed.

Why City wanted him back now

Pep Guardiola has already made the case for why Gvardiol matters to this team. He called him an important player last season and said he can cover centre-back and full-back, which is useful with Manchester City still in second place in the Premier League on 74 points after 35 matches, five behind Arsenal.

That makes the timing obvious enough. City need him for the final stretch, starting with the FA Cup final against Chelsea on 16 May, then away to Bournemouth on 19 May and at home to Aston Villa on 24 May. Guardiola also said he would love Gvardiol to stay, but the immediate issue is simpler: get him through these last three games and hope the workload does not bite again.

Gvardiol said he expects to be ready for the World Cup as well. For now, though, the main point is that City got him back earlier than expected and he looked comfortable enough to be trusted for 58 minutes. That is a useful return, not a finished one.