SM
Real Madrid vs AC Milan: 12 hrs 1 min
Upcoming predictions and previews
Collect News Data
RM
Champions League | Quarter-Finals | 1st Leg
Apr 9, 2024 at 8pm UK
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
MC

Real Madrid
3 - 3
Man City

Dias (12' og.), Rodrygo (14'), Valverde (79')
Tchouameni (1'), Carvajal (81')
FT(HT: 2-1)
Silva (2'), Foden (66'), Gvardiol (71')
Akanji (37'), Silva (88')

Pep Guardiola provides concerning Kyle Walker update for Real Madrid clash

:Headline: Pep Guardiola provides concerning Kyle Walker update for Real Madrid clash:
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola issues a worrying update on Kyle Walker's fitness ahead of next week's Champions League quarter-final first leg with Real Madrid.
Sports Mole

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has played down Kyle Walker's chances of being fit for the Citizens' Champions League quarter-final first leg with Real Madrid next week.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man has been absent from the Citizens' last two matches on account of the thigh injury he sustained during England's friendly with Brazil last month.

City have taken four points from a possible six against Aston Villa and Arsenal with Walker watching on in the medical bay, where Nathan Ake (calf) and Ederson (thigh) also reside.

Speaking to the media prior to the 4-1 beating of Villa on Wednesday night, Guardiola revealed that Man City's doctors have ruled out the possibility of Walker taking on the La Liga leaders on April 9, but the 33-year-old is still holding out hope of an appearance.

"The doctors says no but Kyle is Kyle, he has a special genetic. The doctor said to me it was quite serious, but I said Kyle is Kyle," the Manchester Evening News quotes Guardiola as saying.

How big a blow would Walker's absence be?

England's friendly with Brazil last month ought to have been a tune-up for a fascinating individual battle at the Bernabeu between City captain Walker, and Real's effervescent winger Vinicius Junior.

The pair had already engaged in a much-anticipated one-on-one during last year's semi-finals, and Vinicius hailed Walker as the best defender he has ever played against after Brazil's beating of the Three Lions at Wembley.

The ex-Spurs man may be celebrating his 34th birthday next month, but his outstanding pace and defensive awareness have not abandoned him, while he has also chipped in with a trio of assists in 38 matches this term.

It was not all that long ago that Guardiola claimed that Walker could not play in his new City system, as John Stones and Joao Cancelo found success as inverted full-backs, but the latter's falling-out with his manager offered Walker route back into the team on a regular basis.

The Citizens captain - who took on armband duties after Ilkay Gundogan's exit - has certainly repaid Guardiola's renewed faith in him, and his likely absence from the Bernabeu first leg would be a massive setback to the champions' chances of gleaning an early advantage.

Who could replace Walker against Real Madrid?

With Walker almost certain to miss out on a place in the starting lineup in the Spanish capital, Guardiola could be working with just the one recognised right-back next week in the shape of 19-year-old Rico Lewis.

While not as intimidating physically at just 5ft 6in tall, Lewis has already proven his worth to Guardiola in the 2023-24 Champions League, starting five of the Citizens' group games and the second leg of their last-16 win over Copenhagen.

The Vinicius test will no doubt be the toughest one that Lewis has faced in his embryonic City career, though, and Guardiola may decide to gamble on one of two more imposing options for the first leg.

Manuel Akanji started the draw with Arsenal at right-back before moving centrally due to Ake's injury, while Stones was once again on the bench for the visit of Villa and is seemingly pushing to be fully fit for the first leg, but it may still be deemed too soon for the Englishman to return to the first XI. body check tags ::

amp_article__540510 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase  : 
last updated article - 2024-04-04 17:47:41:
html db last update - 2024-04-04 17:47:41 :

ex - 7200 : read : write cache and make html
Read more!

Click here for more stories about Pep Guardiola

Click here for more stories about Manchester City

Share this article now:


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!
Recommended Next on SM
Guardiola delivers quadruple Man City injury update for Aston Villa clash
Three left-backs, five Londoners: Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week
Sporting raid: Amorim 'wants to bring four players with him' to Old Trafford
Manchester City planning Josko Gvardiol move?
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

history www

Two European giants 'to rival' Real Madrid for Chelsea midfielder

1

TE

Preview: Red Star vs. Barcelona - prediction, team news, lineups

2

PR

Tuesday's Transfer Talk Update: Osimhen, Jackson, Fernandez

NEW

3

TT

Tuesday's League One predictions including Stockport vs. Wycombe

4

TL

Hoping for the best: Chelsea star Palmer 'to undergo scan' on knee injury

5

HF

Preview: Sparta Prague vs. Brest - prediction, team news, lineups

6

PS

Is Haaland injured? Guardiola reveals all ahead of Sporting clash

7

IH

Team News: Liverpool vs. B. Leverkusen injury, suspension list, predicted XIs

8

TN

"I'm not thinking about it": Tielemans comments on criticism, transfer talk

9

&N

Preview: Inter Milan vs. Arsenal - prediction, team news, lineups

10

PI


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .