admin Kyle Walker is in good form for Manchester City and England, but Pep Guardiola will surely look to bring John Stones back in
Could things get better for Kyle Walker?
Playing a key role in Manchester City’s treble, the huge disappointment of not starting in the Champions League final would be offset first by the celebrations that followed, then by the efforts Bayern Munich’s recruitment effort and the Blues’ efforts to keep him. he. With Ilkay Gundogan now at Barcelona, Riyad Mahrez in Saudi Arabia and Kevin De Bruyne out with a long-term injury, Walker has never felt more important on or off the field to Pep Guardiola.
Another wave has come to England, where after being so unpopular that he twice considered retiring from international football, the 33-year-old has now appeared at the end of the series scored impressively and further highlighted his importance to Gareth Southgate. In a more relaxed way, he coaches Real Madrid’s newest Galactico, Jude Bellingham to play two touches.
Even if Walker feels he can continue long term, he can’t spend every game for City – especially when asked to fill the gap on the right wing vacated by Mahrez and not really Replaced by Phil Foden. , between). And as the players in Guardiola’s team know all too well, there’s always someone good who comes along to make you fight for your place.
For Walker, it could soon be John Stones. Amid Man City’s brilliant start to the season, it is easy to forget that the best player in the Champions League final has not played a single minute since the Community Shield.
Stones was excellent last season switching from centre-back or right-back depending on the game, and his influence on his team and opponents was so great that his absence The name on the limited list of the Golden Ball seems to be an even bigger scandal than if Erling Haaland did not win the award. Juanma Lillo said before the international break that the England international is almost ready to return, so he can expect more appearances soon.
There will be times when Stones and Walker are best in the same lineup, but there will also be times when they compete for the same position and Stones looks to be the best bet for that particular match.With Walker now reaching his peak, the biggest threat he faces is probably his Yorkshire team-mate.
It was a match that both players enjoyed – and Guardiola will enjoy hosting – that reminded everyone of the strength that City have; Walker looks as handsome as ever at the start of this season, and Stones looks better than anyone saw him at the end of last season. When the Blues boss returns to work in Manchester, it will be interesting to see how he manages both.
