Pep Guardiola has called Kyle Walker’s kicking of an RB Leipzig player “stupid” with the defender banned for Wednesday night’s Champions League visit of Sporting Lisbon. That has left the Manchester City manager with only 14 senior players available.
João Cancelo is ill, and Nathan Aké and Rúben Dias are injured, leaving Guardiola without four frontline defenders. Walker will serve the second match of a three-game suspension during the last-16 second leg against the Portuguese champions after lashing out at André Silva in a final group match which had no significance for City, who had already qualified. The club appealed against the punishment, though Guardiola did not agree with this.
“He deserved the three-game ban,” said the manager. “When a player does a stupid thing, he deserves [punishment]. I’m not so kind to Kyle in this kind of action. I’m still so angry with him.
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- March 9, 2022
