Manuel Akanji impact could make unthinkable Man City exit manageable

Who'd have thought it?

Just shy of a year ago Aymeric Laporte had more pricks than a porcupine as he took pain-killing injection after pain-killing injection to play on through the pain for Manchester City with his knee hanging on by a cheese string. The Blues were down to the bare bones in a high-pressure run-in for the title. Losing yet another defender could have been catastrophic.

But instead, when his season looked over after he limped off injured against Wolves, Laporte bravely played on and soldiered through the full 90 minutes of the last two games to ensure City got over the line. Had he not, City may well have done what they came so close to doing and fumbled at the final hurdle to allow Liverpool to win instead.

ALSO READ: Erling Haaland gives verdict on Man City's Champions League prospects after 'statement' Leipzig win

When the season finally was over, the Spain international finally got the surgery required to fix his injury and he missed the start of the season as a result. It wasn't until the final 15 minutes of the 6-3 battering of Manchester United on October 2 that he made his long-awaited return.

But since then he has hardly featured in the team at all. Laporte has started just six times in the Premier League this season and only has an additional seven starts in cup competitions. Additionally, since football's resumption after the World Cup, Laporte has started five out of 20 games and he was only unavailable for five of the 15 games he hasn't started.

It's a remarkable fall from grace for a player who has been so integral to City not only in last year's title race but ever since he arrived at the Etihad. An excellent defender but one whose sublime ability on the ball, range of passing and mastery