Amongst all of the joy and elation in the Manchester City camp following their three-nil derby day victory over Manchester United, there was one man who may have also felt a slight sense of worry.

Pep Guardiola made six changes heading into the blockbuster clash. But the one that was arguably the most anticipated was the inclusion of Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.

The imposing Italian produced an excellent performance in his first game for the Cityzens. Whilst this may please the general fanbase, it might also spell trouble for James Trafford.

Manchester City’s Goalkeeping Situation This Summer

Following a couple of high-profile errors from Ederson and a drop in the general performance levels of Stefan Ortega Moreno last season, it was clear that Hugo Viana and co. were considering strengthening City’s goalkeeping department this summer.

The early weeks of the window saw the Cityzens tentatively linked with FC Porto’s Diogo Costa and Joan Garcia.

But City stuck with Ederson and Ortega during the Club World Cup. Both goalkeepers shared game time during the tournament, with neither looking particularly impressive.

Viana entered the race to sign Trafford following the tournament. This was perhaps amidst concern about the lack of homegrown talent at the Etihad Stadium.

The allure of returning to his boyhood club meant that the 22-year-old chose to come back to Manchester instead of moving to Newcastle United, who had been long-term admirers.

During City’s only public preseason friendly, the youngster played the first 45 minutes, with Ederson playing the second half.

The Start Of The Season

It was on the eve of the Premier League season when clubs were alerted to Donnarumma’s availability. The Italian was left out of Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Super Cup squad after failing to agree a new contract with the French side. This put the City boardroom on alert.

Meanwhile, Trafford took the ascendancy in the race for the number one spot at the Etihad.

Illness ruled Ederson out of City’s opening league game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The former Burnley goalkeeper made three big saves and kept a clean sheet on his City debut.

However, his following game, against Tottenham Hotspur, was much less encouraging. The Englishman looked nervous with his feet and made a big error, which allowed Spurs to double their lead before half-time, effectively killing any chance City had of winning the game.

Trafford retained his place in goal against Brighton and Hove Albion despite some very reactionary calls to drop him. Although City lost the game, the 22-year-old prevented 1.07 xG, pulling off a number of impressive saves, one of which won him the Premier League Save of the Month award.

Despite this, the City hierarchy had seemingly already made up their minds. Donnarumma’s signature was secured on deadline day, as Ederson left the Etihad.

Donnarumma’s Debut

The former Yashin Trophy winner was thrust straight into the starting XI by Guardiola on Sunday. He instantly made his mark on the Premier League.

Despite concerns over his ball-playing ability, Donnarumma looked solid, if unspectacular, with his feet. The Italian also dealt with corners and crosses into the box well, taking command of his penalty area and making strong punches. This was something that Trafford struggled with during his stint in the top flight with Burnley.

But what impressed fans and pundits the most was his save from Bryan Mbuemo’s shot.

The effort came in the 61st minute, where the game was still in the balance as, despite City’s two-goal lead, United had dominated the general play in the second half. An excellent cross into the box found the Cameroonian international, who produced a world-class strike that was destined to hit the bottom corner of the net and offer the Red Devils a lifeline in the game, were it not for the outstretched hand of Donnarumma.

Trafford, who has been at City since he was 12, would undeniably have been elated at the result. But Donnarumma’s performance showed him the level he needs to reach if he wants to be City’s long-term number one.

What Next For Trafford?

TBR Football’s Graeme Bailey has reported that the Cityzens are already considering sending Trafford out on loan in January to satisfy the youngster’s need for game time.

This is a more viable option than many may think, as, despite the ‘one-in, one-out’ policy that City were operating on the goalkeeping front this summer, Ortega is still at the Etihad. This means that the German could serve as Donnarumma’s deputy in the second half of the season before his contract expires next summer.

Trafford could then depart on loan to gain regular minutes and push for a spot in England’s World Cup squad. He could even be sent to a CFG club, like Girona, so Guardiola can keep a close eye on him.

However, this may not be the best move for Trafford in the long run. By and large, players who leave the Etihad Stadium on loan struggle to regain favour with Pep Guardiola, James McAtee being the most poignant example.

The Cityzens will be aiming to win every competition they are in, and that should give Trafford plenty of opportunities for minutes. Over his three seasons as Ederson’s deputy, Ortega has made a very healthy 56 appearances, meaning Trafford should also get semi-regular game time. This is something that Guardiola eluded to before the Manchester derby, saying, “The season is so long… Everybody will be involved.”

The 22-year-old has been placed in an unfortunate situation due to circumstances beyond his control. But his best bet is to stay in Manchester and learn from Guardiola and Donnarumma.