The official website has reported that Pablo Zabaleta has returned to England and will train today to be ready for this weekend’s game with Sunderland.
This is just what we needed considering the current injury situation. With Micah Richards our for around six weeks, Kolo Toure suspended and Jerome Boateng needing knee surgery, we were short of options at right back with only Dedrick Boyata and youngster Reece Wabara available.
Zabaleta was back home in Argentina with his Father who was recently involved in a car accident but has decided to fly back to Manchester to be with the injury hit squad.
There are certain acts in football which can really adhere a player to the fans; winning goals, penalty saves and flawless performances being amongst the most common. Then there are others that are a little less common but can mean so much more. One example which will be familiar to most reading this is when Nery Castillo paid a percentage of his loan fee in order to be able to come to England and play for City. Fair enough it never quite worked out for the little mexican but City fans always held him in the highest regards. I believe Pablo’s return to Manchester this week to be an act of this calibre. Most, if not all fan’s would have given Pablo as long as he needed with his father after all, dare I say it; there are more important things in life than football. It is the passion, drive and determination which has confirmed him as a fan favorite and crucial member of the City squad under his second manager at the club, the same characteristics which have brought him back this week.
If there was one player who would be branded with these characteristics at the club I think the unanimous vote would go to Pablo, signed from Espanyol in 2008 he has given 100% in every single game played and constantly mirrored the fans passion. Having played over 100 games for City I know that no-one will say in any one of those that Zabaleta has given any less then his all. I actually struggle to think of a bad game he has had at the club.
Looking at a few of the players we’ve had at the club and the attitudes they have brought with them, Robinho and Balotelli spring to mind instantly, it emphasizes the right way to go about playing football, the attitudes differ so greatly and in my opinion certainly contributes to the fact that Robinho played 41 games for City and very few were sad to see him leave. This year against Blackpool Zabaleta made his 100th appearance for the club and continues to impress forcing himself to be a crucial member of our ever growing squad and rightly at times taking the captains armband.
Zabaleta’s chances have been limited recently with the return to form of Micah Richards but with so many games in a short period of time the old faithful has always stepped up to the challenge and put in committed performances. Some personal highlights of mine are the game away at the Emirates this season where Pablo stepped in at left back and put in one of the best full back performances I have ever seen from a City player (overshadowed by a ludicrous sending off 3 minutes from the end). Zabaleta has also been asked to play as a defensive midfielder on several occasions this year, again a task he performs more than adequately.
As our club moves forward, Zabaleta’s persistence serves as a constant reminder of where we have been and just how far we have come. If there is one true representation of the commitment and attitude we need to progress to the next level then it is personified by this one man perfectly.
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