International breaks usually go one of two ways: Either they stymie a team’s progress and cause an unwelcome distraction from club affairs, or they offer some respite and an opportunity for a side to regroup and refocus.
For Manchester City, international weeks must be filling staff at the Etihad with dread. During the last one, six weeks ago, City lost both Sergio Aguero and David Silva, their two best attacking players, and haven’t been able to call on them since. Aguero suffered a grade-two hamstring tear, while Silva was left nursing a ankle injury. Both have been big losses.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who has had to cope with a sizeable injury list throughout the season, will be hoping his squad comes back fit and healthy. The Chilean perhaps deserves more credit for the way his side have coped with the mass of injuries, with the club top of the Premier League, safely through to the Champions League last 16 and into the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup.
For some players in the squad, it feels like a well-timed break. Eliaquim Mangala, who has lost his place in the City side to Nicolas Otamendi in recent weeks, will see it as an opportunity to change his environment and fight a different battle before returning to Manchester and trying to force his way into Pellegrini’s first-choice team.
He wants a place in France’s Euro 2016 squad, but it’s a nation blessed with plenty of talent. Laurent Koscielny and Mamadou Sakho are likely ahead of him in Didier Deschamps' thinking at the moment, but Mangala has played two full games for France already this season and looks to be firmly in the manager’s plans. It’s vital for him that this next get-together goes well.
It feels as though he has an important few weeks when he returns to his club, too. With City’s schedule becoming demanding, there will be chances to play in the coming weeks, and he needs to impress if he wants to reclaim the spot to the left of Vincent Kompany at the heart of City’s defence.
It’s been a strange season for Mangala, with clear improvement on the field but still no guaranteed place in Pellegrini’s starting XI.
He partnered Kompany when the season started and was part of a defence that kept five consecutive clean sheets. Kompany’s injury, though, brought instability, and a couple of momentary lapses of concentration saw Mangala culpable for goals.
He looked nowhere near as secure alongside Otamendi as he did when Kompany was in the side, and when the Belgian returned, Pellegrini opted to try Otamendi next to him. It’s worked well, with the £32 million signing from Valencia showing superb form and Kompany proving he is the best organiser and leader in the squad.
Man of the Match displays against Manchester United and Norwich City saw Otamendi's stock rise considerably, and at Aston Villa on Sunday, he and Kompany were again largely untroubled.
It's been something of a problem position for City in recent years, but it seems things are beginning to settle in defence. City have limited their opponents to just 28 shots on target this season—the lowest tally in the league.
All of which leaves Mangala needing to show patience. At 24, he has time on his side, but City invested significant funds to secure his signature and, ideally, would have wanted more from the Frenchman than they’ve had so far.
In terms of raw ability and natural attributes, he has everything he needs to be an excellent defender. Quick, strong and unfathomably athletic, Mangala is equipped for life at the top. With improved concentration and positional sense, he could be City's best defender.
Coming back for the next break fit and focused on regaining his spot is imperative for the former Porto player.
Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.
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