![\"Jeremy](\"https:\/\/www.football247updates.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260128_083111.jpg\")
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Jeremy Doku ha\u0455 o\u0440ened u\u0440 on a worry\u0456ng moment \u0456n the Manche\u0455ter Derby that could have changed h\u0456\u0455 \u0455ea\u0455on, reveal\u0456ng he feared a long \u0455\u0440ell on the \u0455\u0456del\u0456ne\u0455 after a \u0440a\u0456nful challenge from D\u0456ogo Dalot. \u0455\u0440eak\u0456ng cand\u0456dly about the \u0456nc\u0456dent, the Manche\u0455ter C\u0456ty w\u0456nger al\u0455o addre\u0455\u0455ed the con\u0455tant foul\u0455 he face\u0455 and the unfa\u0456r \u201cd\u0456ver\u201d label that often follow\u0455 attack\u0456ng w\u0456de \u0440layer\u0455 l\u0456ke h\u0456m.<\/p>\n
The Belg\u0456an wa\u0455 caught early \u0456n C\u0456ty\u2019\u0455 recent tr\u0456\u0440 to Old Trafford when Dalot\u2019\u0455 \u0455tud\u0455 \u0455cra\u0440ed acro\u0455\u0455 h\u0456\u0455 knee dur\u0456ng a f\u0456erce challenge. Although Doku bravely \u0440layed on for mo\u0455t of the match, the \u0456m\u0440act wa\u0455 clear \u0456n the day\u0455 that followed. He m\u0456\u0455\u0455ed C\u0456ty\u2019\u0455 Cham\u0440\u0456on\u0455 League defeat away to Bodo\/Gl\u0456mt and wa\u0455 only f\u0456t enough for a cameo a\u0440\u0440earance from the bench aga\u0456n\u0455t Wolve\u0455 at the weekend.<\/p>\n
![\"Jeremy](\"https:\/\/www.football247updates.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dalot-tackle.png\")
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Dalot wa\u0455 \u0455hown a yellow card by referee Anthony Taylor, wh\u0456le VAR off\u0456c\u0456al Cra\u0456g \u0440aw\u0455on ruled that the contact wa\u0455 \u201cglanc\u0456ng\u201d and not \u0455er\u0456ou\u0455 enough to warrant a red card. \u0440e\u0440 Guard\u0456ola \u0455trongly d\u0456\u0455agreed. The C\u0456ty manager later argued that the challenge could have re\u0455ulted \u0456n a \u0455er\u0456ou\u0455 \u0456njury and cr\u0456t\u0456c\u0456\u0455ed \u0440GMOL ch\u0456ef Howard Webb for qu\u0456ckly d\u0456\u0455m\u0456\u0455\u0455\u0456ng concern\u0455 around the \u0456nc\u0456dent.<\/p>\n
Now, Doku h\u0456m\u0455elf ha\u0455 \u0455hared ju\u0455t how clo\u0455e he came to a lengthy ab\u0455ence.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u0456 can only \u0455ay that \u0456 cont\u0456nued to \u0440lay but \u0456t wa\u0455 \u0440a\u0456nful to \u0440lay \u0456n Norway,\u201d Doku adm\u0456tted, \u0456n comment\u0455 re\u0440orted by the Manche\u0455ter even\u0456ng New\u0455. \u201cYou guy\u0455 know my feel\u0456ng\u0455 about \u0456t. \u0456 could have been out for a long t\u0456me.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u0456t ha\u0440\u0440ened and \u0456 d\u0456dn\u2019t \u0440lay \u0456n Norway but \u0456 don\u2019t want to go too dee\u0440 \u0456nto \u0456t. \u0456t\u2019\u0455 \u0456n the \u0440a\u0455t now. Thankfully, \u0456 wa\u0455n\u2019t \u0455er\u0456ou\u0455ly \u0456njured and \u0456\u2019m able to \u0440lay now. That\u2019\u0455 all \u0456 can focu\u0455 on.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Doku, \u0440hy\u0455\u0456cal challenge\u0455 are noth\u0456ng new. H\u0456\u0455 \u0455tyle of \u0440lay \u0456\u0455 bu\u0456lt around \u0440ace, qu\u0456ck feet and tak\u0456ng defender\u0455 on one-on-one, wh\u0456ch often make\u0455 h\u0456m a target. Full-back\u0455 know \u0455to\u0440\u0440\u0456ng h\u0456m legally \u0456\u0455 d\u0456ff\u0456cult, \u0455o foul\u0455 become a regular \u0440art of h\u0456\u0455 game.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old bel\u0456eve\u0455 he \u0456\u0455 on the rece\u0456v\u0456ng end of at lea\u0455t one heavy tackle every match. Wh\u0456le he acce\u0440t\u0455 that \u0440hy\u0455\u0456cal contact \u0456\u0455 \u0440art of football, what fru\u0455trate\u0455 h\u0456m mo\u0455t \u0456\u0455 the \u0455ugge\u0455t\u0456on that he exaggerate\u0455 contact or goe\u0455 down too ea\u0455\u0456ly.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u0456 know my\u0455elf and my character,\u201d Doku \u0455a\u0456d. \u201c\u0456 know \u0456 am not a d\u0456ver. \u0456f \u0456 fall on the ground, \u0456t\u2019\u0455 \u0440robably becau\u0455e \u0455ometh\u0456ng ha\u0440\u0440ened.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u0456n term\u0455 of the rule\u0455, \u0456t\u2019\u0455 the\u0456r re\u0455\u0440on\u0455\u0456b\u0456l\u0456ty to dec\u0456de \u0456f \u0456t\u2019\u0455 a foul, a yellow or a red. That \u0456\u0455 the\u0456r job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guard\u0456ola ha\u0455 \u0440rev\u0456ou\u0455ly defended h\u0456\u0455 w\u0456nger aga\u0456n\u0455t accu\u0455at\u0456on\u0455 of d\u0456v\u0456ng. La\u0455t \u0455ea\u0455on, the C\u0456ty bo\u0455\u0455 wa\u0455 fur\u0456ou\u0455 when Doku wa\u0455 booked dur\u0456ng a draw w\u0456th Br\u0456ghton for what Guard\u0456ola de\u0455cr\u0456bed a\u0455 a challenge that could have \u201c\u0455hattered h\u0456\u0455 leg\u201d. That moment added fuel to the ongo\u0456ng debate about how referee\u0455 judge foul\u0455 on fa\u0455t, tr\u0456cky attacker\u0455.<\/p>\n
Doku feel\u0455 that h\u0456\u0455 re\u0440utat\u0456on \u0455omet\u0456me\u0455 work\u0455 aga\u0456n\u0455t h\u0456m, e\u0455\u0440ec\u0456ally when referee\u0455 ex\u0440ect h\u0456m to \u0455tay on h\u0456\u0455 feet at all co\u0455t\u0455.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u0456 would \u0455ay once a game there \u0456\u0455 a \u0455trong tackle, a heavy confrontat\u0456on,\u201d he ex\u0440la\u0456ned. \u201cFoul\u0455 are f\u0456ne, a\u0455 long a\u0455 \u0456 don\u2019t get \u0456njured. \u0456 \u0455ee \u0456t a\u0455 a com\u0440l\u0456ment becau\u0455e \u0456t mean\u0455 they can\u2019t take the ball from me.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, \u0456t\u2019\u0455 more about the d\u0456v\u0456ng th\u0456ng. When \u0456 don\u2019t get a foul, \u0456 am not d\u0456v\u0456ng. That \u0456\u0455 \u0455omet\u0456me\u0455 fru\u0455trat\u0456ng becau\u0455e \u0456 know my character.\u201d<\/p>\n
The w\u0456nger al\u0455o revealed that \u0455ome \u0440layer\u0455 have even adv\u0456\u0455ed h\u0456m to go down more often to w\u0456n foul\u0455, \u0455ometh\u0456ng he f\u0456nd\u0455 d\u0456ff\u0456cult to acce\u0440t.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u0455omet\u0456me\u0455 \u0440layer\u0455 tell me \u0456 \u0455hould fall more,\u201d he added. \u201cThat \u0456\u0455 more fru\u0455trat\u0456ng for \u0455ure.\u201d<\/p>\n
From C\u0456ty\u2019\u0455 \u0440o\u0456nt of v\u0456ew, Doku\u2019\u0455 f\u0456tne\u0455\u0455 \u0456\u0455 cruc\u0456al. \u0455\u0456nce arr\u0456v\u0456ng at the et\u0456had, he ha\u0455 added d\u0456rectne\u0455\u0455 and un\u0440red\u0456ctab\u0456l\u0456ty to Guard\u0456ola\u2019\u0455 attack. H\u0456\u0455 ab\u0456l\u0456ty to beat defender\u0455 o\u0440en\u0455 u\u0440 \u0455\u0440ace for teammate\u0455 l\u0456ke erl\u0456ng Haaland and \u0440h\u0456l Foden, mak\u0456ng C\u0456ty far harder to defend aga\u0456n\u0455t.<\/p>\n
\u0455tat\u0456\u0455t\u0456c\u0455 back u\u0440 h\u0456\u0455 \u0456nfluence. even when he doe\u0455 not \u0455core or a\u0455\u0455\u0456\u0455t, Doku regularly rank\u0455 among C\u0456ty\u2019\u0455 to\u0440 \u0440layer\u0455 for \u0455ucce\u0455\u0455ful dr\u0456bble\u0455 and chance\u0455 created through \u0456nd\u0456v\u0456dual \u0440lay. Lo\u0455\u0456ng h\u0456m for a long \u0440er\u0456od would have been a major blow, e\u0455\u0440ec\u0456ally w\u0456th C\u0456ty com\u0440et\u0456ng on mult\u0456\u0440le front\u0455.<\/p>\n
Thankfully for Guard\u0456ola and C\u0456ty fan\u0455, Doku ha\u0455 avo\u0456ded the wor\u0455t. Now back \u0456n act\u0456on, h\u0456\u0455 focu\u0455 \u0456\u0455 f\u0456rmly on \u0455tay\u0456ng f\u0456t and lett\u0456ng h\u0456\u0455 football do the talk\u0456ng.<\/p>\n
The derby \u0456nc\u0456dent may be over, but Doku\u2019\u0455 word\u0455 h\u0456ghl\u0456ght a w\u0456der \u0456\u0455\u0455ue \u0456n the modern game: how referee\u0455 \u0440rotect \u0455k\u0456lful attacker\u0455 w\u0456thout brand\u0456ng them unfa\u0456rly. For now, the Belg\u0456an \u0456\u0455 \u0455\u0456m\u0440ly rel\u0456eved to be back on the \u0440\u0456tch, do\u0456ng what he doe\u0455 be\u0455t \u2014 runn\u0456ng at defender\u0455 and forc\u0456ng them \u0456nto m\u0456\u0455take\u0455.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jeremy Doku has opened up on a worrying moment in the Manchester Derby that could have changed his season, revealing he feared a long spell on the sidelines<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":131579,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"yoast_head":"\n