|
MANCHESTER -- Goalkeeper Ederson is ready to risk more injuries in order to help Manchester City to succeed this season. Ederson, 24, needed eight stitches after being kicked in the head by Liverpool's Sadio Mane as the pair contested a high ball during City's 5-0 win in September. But Ederson, a summer signing from Portuguese champions Benfica, showed his courage had not been dented when he dived bravely at the feet of Burnley's Chris Wood and Scott Arfield in the 3-0 win at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. "It's the way I play -- if I have to put my hand, my head, my foot there to help the team that's what I'm going to do," he told reporters. "It's part of the game, those situations in the box. But nothing serious happened. I have always played the same way. I have no fear of anything." Ederson has made an impressive start at City, where he replaced Claudio Bravo after Chile international's difficult debut season. He has been beaten just five times in 12 appearances and City boss Pep Guardiola told a news conference: "He is a guy who is so stable in the bad moments and he has the same reaction in the good moments. "He is good in the build-up, good in anticipating, strong in the line. We are so happy because for the next years we have a good goalkeeper for Manchester City. "It [diving at players' feet] happened again after we played against Liverpool -- he was there. It means a lot because normally in this kind of situation you protect yourself a little bit more and stay in the box more. "But all the time he plays high as we play high. It is so important our goalkeeper plays high as well. He show us a lot with these kind of actions." Ederson's form has been noted by Brazil coach Tite, who gave him his international debut in October's World Cup qualifier against Chile. Brazil have friendlies away to Japan and England and the keeper said: "If I get the chance to play, I'm going to try to give my best to keep being in the team. "I think that the most important thing is being part of the Brazilian national squad and I just have to keep working to keep being in the team. "If I have the chance to play with Brazil [at Wembley], it's going to be amazing. But I'm sure it will be a great game."
|
