Who is Manchester City debutant Max Alleyne?

Manchester City defender Max Alleyne will make his Premier League debut on Wednesday after being named in the team to face Brighton.

The highly rated England Under-21 international was recently recalled from his season-long loan at Watford to ease City's defensive injury crisis.

Alleyne, 20, joined City from Southampton's academy in 2021 for a reported £1.5m fee and is described by the club as a "cultured and ball-playing" centre-back.

He helped City's elite development squad win the Premier League 2 title last season and after 28 games at that level his impressive performances saw him claim the club's under-21 player of the year award.

There is sporting pedigree running in Alleyne's family, with his father being former England cricket all-rounder and current Gloucestershire coach Mark Alleyne.

As a player, Mark played 10 one-day internationals for England across 1999 and 2000, scoring almost 15,000 first-class runs in his career.

City prospect Alleyne told BBC Sport last year he did not choose to play cricket as he "enjoyed football growing up" and his dad was "never pushy" in what he wanted to do.

Pep Guardiola recalled the young centre-back following injuries to Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol - with the latter set for surgery after breaking his shinbone.

Speaking in his pre-match news conference, City boss Guardiola said: "Max has come back from his loan at Watford. We appreciate Watford for what they have done for the young lad."

Alleyne signed a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium prior to his loan at Watford, keeping him with Manchester City until the summer of 2030.

While still in the infancy of his professional career, Alleyne's playing style has seen him mould into an athletic centre-back who is comfortable both passing and dribbling with the ball - earning comparisons to City and England team-mate John Stones.

Alleyne made 16 Championship appearances for Watford and was not only one of their most consistent players at clearances and tackles, but he also ranked high for dribbles and long passes.

He was signed as an eight-year-old by Southampton and was thrown into under-18s action aged just 15, playing a key role in an academy group that included now Everton winger Tyler Dibling.

"He had that sort of innate athletic ability," said his former Southampton academy manager Matt Hale, who now occupies the same role at Derby County.

"He grew, he got strong, he was quick. He liked defending but he also built an incredible positive aspect of being able to handle the ball, dribble, dribble out from the back, almost run with the ball like a modern day centre-back needs to do.

"He had not only the defensive skill set, he offered so much to the team with the ball as well, and he was very competent with the ball at his feet."

Alleyne's performances attracted the attention of some of the biggest clubs in England, eventually signing with City.

"He was definitely one of our best players aged under 16 and you don't want to lose your best players," added Hale.

"I'm sure he would have thrived and done well had he stayed at Southampton, but also if you get offered compensation or finance and it becomes a business decision for the board."

The England youth international became a key component in Javi Gracia's Watford side who have lost just one of their past 13 games.

"Initially when Max signed there were reservations about his physical profile and whether he would be able to adapt quickly to the Championship," said James Batchelor from online fan platform The Watford Way.

"Those concerns were quickly quelled and he went on to become a mainstay in the team.

"Some Watford players have nicknamed him 'Johnny Stones' which reflects how highly they rate him and the potential they believe he has to develop into a world-class talent."

So, is Alleyne ready for the intensity and physicality of the Premier League?

"Pep has a proven track record of fast-tracking young players into the City first team, and I can see the same happening with Max," said Batchelor.

"He is a great talent with a calm head and, most importantly, remains humble. He will be greatly missed at Vicarage Road."

And it is not just Watford fans who tip him to have a bright future.

"He's curious, he's a learner, and he'll listen, and he'll absorb information. I think that's what's allowed him to keep developing at Southampton, Man City and on loan," Hale added.

"He'll be respectful to the people he's working with and the coaches that are teaching him. He'll be curious to learn, he'll ask questions and he'll take things on board."

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.