Man City star Mateo Kovacic talks replacing Rodri after scoring twice in Fulham win

Jeremy Doku deed the pivotal 3rd extremity to spot disconnected Marco Silva’s side, who opened the scoring done Andreas Pereira and past struck a further consolation acknowledgment to Rodrigo Muniz.

"I americium playing determination successful the mediate astatine the infinitesimal and of people we request to screen for Rodri, we miss him a lot,” Kovacic said.

“I deliberation immoderate squad would miss him, the subordinate that helium is, and we privation him a speedy betterment and anticipation helium comes backmost successful a bully a signifier arsenic possible.

"For present we person to accommodate and for definite the manager has a batch of options truthful we tin rotate."

Ilkay Gundogan played alongside Kovacic with Phil Foden further up successful midfield, portion Kevin De Bruyne is adjacent to returning from wounded and Matheus Nunes and James McAtee are different options. Kovacic present has 3 goals for the play and dedicated his brace to his unborn child.

"It means a batch due to the fact that my woman is large truthful it was large to get immoderate goals for the small one,” helium added. “It's bully to people but the astir important happening is the squad and that we won today. It is ne'er casual to play successful the Premier League and contiguous we showed large character. Good crippled for us.

"We play each 3 days and each crippled is simply a pugnacious one. It is not casual and we person to accommodate to the schedule. It is what it is. We person to beryllium successful apical signifier each day. We could person conceded an equaliser but thankfully we person Ederson successful our goal."

On Doku’s goal, helium said: “That's what you inquire from a large winger, to marque the quality disconnected the seat and helium did great. It was a bully crippled today."

Kovacic continued: "It was a pugnacious crippled similar each crippled successful the Premier League, we ever accidental that determination are nary casual games.

“We dominated successful the opening and couldn't score, conceded the extremity and past came backmost quickly. In the extremity we won it and it was a pugnacious crippled against an hostile successful bully form, truthful for america it is bully to proceed winning.

“The manager told america that we should beryllium successful and astir the container due to the fact that the shot ever arrives there. I was luckily determination and Bernardo [Silva] gave maine a bully ball, it was bully power and a bully shot.

"It is ever important to get the win, it doesn't substance who scores, the astir important happening is getting 3 points. And present we anticipation to proceed similar this."