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PEP Guardiola’s final message to his players as they departed for the international break was clear: don’t get injured.
That is a familiar instruction from the City boss, but this time there was a twist. With all countries playing friendlies, Guardiola inferred that players should be sensible over their workload during the international break, pointing to the relentless schedule across three competitions that awaits them when they return.
He even told Erling Haaland that he’d ‘come after’ him if he came back with an injury, so he will have been relieved that footage of the striker limping in training was not a serious issue and that he ended up starting two games. “He’s not my player anymore,” Guardiola said of Haaland and whether he would have preferred he didn’t play this week. It wasn’t Haaland he needed to worry about.
First there was Kyle Walker, who tried to battle on but ultimately hobbled out of England’s defeat to Brazil.
Gareth Southgate said he didn’t know the extent of the injury but expressed concern that Walker is a player who is rarely injured, while the defender himself posted a message
GARETH Southgate defended his decision to play John Stones for England on Tuesday – saying other key players for City, Liverpool and Arsenal were used in the same way.
Pep Guardiola told his players to be sensible over their minutes for their countries over the international break given they were all playing friendlies, and Erling Haaland reported that the saying that he hoped the issue wasn’t too serious.
Reports suggest the injury is not as bad as first feared, but he will be assessed upon his return to the City Football Academy this week.
He is not a player worth risking a premature return, and despite the importance of the Arsenal game, getting Walker fit for Real Madrid, if possible, has to be the priority. If Walker is missing, then the plan B would involve Manu Akanji or John Stones at right-back, with the other inverting into midfield – likely Stones. That plan B was shifted to a plan C when Akanji missed training for Switzerland and was subsequently left out of their friendly with Ireland. And it became plan D (or worse) when Stones limped out of England’s second friendly with an adductor injury. Southgate was forced to defend his decision to play Stones, and City will sweat on his condition ahead of Arsenal. As it stands, the defence against Arsenal is down to Rico Lewis, Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake. Not ideal. Matheus Nunes was given a chance to impress in Portugal’s second friendly while others were granted some rest like Bernardo manager joked to his squad that he would ‘come after them’ if anyone got injured.
With Ederson, Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish all remaining at City to recover from their own injuries, the Blues saw Kyle Walker withdraw from England duty after limping out of the defeat to Brazil with an apparent hamstring injury.
Then, on Tuesday, Stones started against Belgium but limped off in the
As it stands, the defence against Arsenal is down to Rico Lewis, Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake