Aymeric Laporte: Lockdown is strange but now it is normal

The French defender had to miss the first half of the season due to injury.

With Manchester City not having played since March 8 and uncertainty still surrounding when the authorities will sanction a return to action, it’s been a strange, challenging time for Aymeric Laporte and the squad.

However, Laporte insists he has found a way of adapting to the new scenario and says the advent of technology and online tools such as Zoom have been hugely beneficial in ensuring he stays connected with his City colleagues.

“It is strange but now it is normal,” admitted the French central defender. "Of course (it is important to stay in touch), we have to keep in touch to be a team and to stay a team. It is a good thing."

“(I miss) all of them because maybe some days there is one player not in the locker room and you feel they are not there. Normally, I see everyone, and I like to see everyone and if someone is not there then you notice that so I want to see everyone and train with all of them.”

Laporte has been spending the last six weeks following official guidelines and staying safe at his Manchester home. But he admitted that after having battled hard to return to fitness following a five-month lay-off with a serious knee injury at the start of the season, the current period of enforced inactivity has proved another challenge to overcome.

“I am in Manchester and I am OK. I am at home, safe,” Aymeric told mancity.com.

“I am doing nothing but training a little bit, staying at home and doing some streaming online. For me, it was a long time without football on the pitch and it was so difficult. The second time without football and it is always difficult; don’t touch the ball, don’t be on the pitch in the stadium playing in front of the fans and everything."

“I feel fit, no problems. At home I have many things to do, to train, to run. I have a bike, I have weights, I have many things. I cannot do everything because it’s is not like being on the pitch. We have to keep it how it is and waiting for what is the best for our health which is the most important thing right now.”

One fun way for Laporte of passing the time has been the challenge of playing online games with his team-mates and friends.

Laporte took part in a FIFA 2020 online challenge with Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz last month to help raise funds for the COVID-19 relief effort.

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