5 Manchester City Players to Watch During November International Break

It really feels like the international football powers are just toying with us now.

With only 11 matches played in the Premier League season, an unconscionable third international break has been visited upon an unappreciative, vulnerable football-watching world.

The altitude change from Champions League football last midweek to international friendlies that pit the likes of the United States against Ireland or Japan against Australia is enough to bloody your nose.

In fairness, Argentina vs. Portugal promises to be entertaining.

You should not be shocked to see that one of Manchester City's Argentine contingent is featured in this piece. 

Sergio Aguero

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It is hard to believe any nation could have a forward better than Aguero; Argentina does, though.

Aguero is City's leading scorer. That really is not news. However, with his brace at Loftus Road over the weekend, he wrested the Premier League scoring lead from Chelsea's Diego Costa.

That is news—as is Aguero's newly released autobiography, which could well be worth a read.

Countless footballers have risen from difficult beginnings, and Aguero is no exception.

Per Ben Smith of BBC Sport:

"

Aguero's family was poor. The neighbourhood was known as La Cueva de las Viboras, or 'the cave of the vipers.' The family home was surrounded by dirt roads; dusty in the summer, muddy in the winter. The nearest tarmac was 400m away. His house had a sheet metal roof, a cement floor and one double bed. The family had a makeshift wardrobe made out of bricks and wood, a hole in the ground for a toilet.

"

Assuming Aguero protects his money with the same zeal he shields the ball in the attacking half, generations of Agueros going forward will not want for a toilet.

Argentina will face Croatia on Nov. 12, then play a showpiece match with Portugal that could feature Aguero, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.

This one might be worth watching for City fans—if for no other reason, just to see the Manchester United supporters in attendance gnashing their teeth at the realization they let Ronaldo get away. 

Joe Hart

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Maybe make sure just to hit that thing once going forward, eh, Joe?

England's No. 1 goalkeeper always finds a way to keep City supporters on their toes—and his toe featured prominently in his latest heart-in-your-mouth moment.

Per Fox Sports:

"

With the score 0-0 in the game at Loftus Road, City were awarded a free-kick inside their own penalty area after QPR striker Charlie Austin had seen a header ruled out for offside. Hart slipped on the greasy pitch as he took the free-kick, nudging the ball forward with his standing foot and then toeing it straight to Austin, who gobbled up the invitation by slamming a low shot into the net. But the goalkeeper protested that in touching the ball twice he had broken the rules and referee Mike Dean concurred, allowing the England goalkeeper to take the kick again.

"

Good grief.

City are finding ways to make even uncontested plays dangerous and terrifying.

Anyway, Hart will presumably get to work on his technique in England's matches with Slovenia on Nov. 15 and Scotland on Nov. 18. 

Eliaquim Mangala

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Mangala is, um, still a work in progress at City.

City have to hope that France will give Mangala a chance to play over this international break. After all, they did not do so in either of the previous two.

Mangala's debut season at City has been a debacle. Even when he manages not to make a significant mistake, the criticism still comes hard and loud, as here from Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail:

"

The way in which Mangala was pulled apart by the combination of Bobby Zamora and Charlie Austin makes the £32 million paid to Porto in the summer a laughable amount. Mangala’s only bit of positive defending was a last-ditch tackle to clear as Austin raced through. Even then he had been caught the wrong side in the direct place. With each passing week he gets worse, he looks increasingly nervous and makes more mistakes.

"

Gaughan's analysis is the textbook definition of "harsh but fair."

City supporters find themselves in the awkward and unenviable position of watching Mangala not with hope that he will play well, just that he will not come completely unglued.

France will face Albania on Nov. 14 and Sweden on Nov. 18. 

Yaya Toure

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We'll see how long it takes Toure to get home this time.

Toure's uneven season (and that's being charitable) rolls on.

The good, the bad and the ugly of the Ivorian were on display in City's last two matches.

Against CSKA Moscow, they fell behind early. Toure failed to mark Seydou Doumbia on a free kick. Minutes later, Toure equalized from a free kick of his own. However, he later petulantly drew City's second red card of the match and left his teammates to finish the contest with nine men.

Against Queens Park Rangers, Toure had a relatively quiet match before his long ball to Sergio Aguero was converted by the Argentine into the equalizer that saved the side from a dreadful loss to a relegation-threatened outfit.

Toure will play for the Ivory Coast against Sierra Leone on Nov. 14 and Cameroon on Nov. 19. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Toure's return to Africa will be seeing how long it takes him to get back to England. 

Matija Nastasic

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Nastasic is making a lot of money not to play football at Manchester City this season.

If you want to see Matija Nastasic play football this season, you might have to watch the Serbian men's national team.

After all, City boss Manuel Pellegrini absolutely refuses to let Nastasic play for the Manchester club, even as their central defense more strongly resembles wet newsprint by the day.

Serbia will play Denmark on Nov. 14 and Greece on Nov. 18.

Assuming Nastasic plays well in either of these matches, he should have his agent send match footage to Pellegrini in hopes that the manager will remember he is still cashing City's checks and available to play.