Man City next captain: Enzo Maresca reveals "major problem" of appointing Erling Haaland

Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca is currently tasked with appointing a new club captain following the departure of Bernardo Silva this summer.

The Italian head coach recently arrived at the Etihad Stadium to succeed Pep Guardiola and is actively restructuring the leadership hierarchy ahead of the new campaign.

The existing leadership committee currently consists of Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland and Rodri, although the latter faces an uncertain future.

The Spanish midfielder has recently been the subject of a failed transfer bid from Barcelona as European rivals attempt to capitalise on the transitional period in Manchester.

Maresca is determined to establish a reliable captaincy group and reportedly wants to include a homegrown player to fill the current vacancy.

Maresca reveals "problem" with potential Haaland captaincy

Maresca has seemingly ruled out the possibility of handing the official armband to Haaland.

The Italian revealed that he operates with a strict tactical rule which requires his captain to approach the touchline for instructions whenever the team scores a goal.

Given the phenomenal scoring rate of the Norwegian international, Maresca joked that implementing this specific directive with the striker would be completely impractical.

"If Erling is the captain, we have a problem, can you imagine? If you saw the game [against K-League XI] on Wednesday, when we scored the first goal, Ruben came over to the bench," said the Man City boss via BBC Sport.

The Italian was still quick to praise the character of the 26-year-old by revealing he was one of the first players to send a welcoming message upon his arrival.

The prolific forward will therefore remain an integral part of the senior leadership group despite missing out on the primary role.

Will Ruben Dias take the Manchester City armband?

Portuguese defender Dias currently appears to be the overwhelming favourite to inherit the primary leadership responsibilities.

Despite acknowledging Rodri's leadership of the team, the City boss also cast further doubt over the immediate future of the Spanish midfielder.

"At the moment, we have three or four [in the leadership group] and we are missing one,"said Maresca. "In the case of Rodri, see what happens."

Man City take on Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday, seeking success in the English football season's curtain-raiser at the Premier League champions' expense.