MANCHESTER.- Kyle Walker joined the list of injured players Manchester City after having played for England on the most recent FIFA date with a knee injury and will miss the home game against Sparta Prague due to Champions League on Wednesday.
The City manager revealed on Tuesday that he was never as angry as he was at the end of last season when Walker and fellow England defender John Stones returned from international duty with injuries sustained in friendlies.
They missed key City games in their run to the Premier League title and a quarter-final match against Real Madrid in the Champions League. City were eliminated by Madrid on penalties after draws.
“I have never been as angry as I was at that moment, I have never felt so disappointed,” Guardiola said.
“It was in a friendly. We had the quarterfinals against Madrid and we were fighting in the Premier League. “Two injured after a friendly,” Guardiola added. “I didn’t like it at all.”
England played two matches in the group stage of the Nations League on the recent international date. Walker did not play in the 2-1 loss to Greece, but played the full match in the 3-1 win in Finland on October 13.
“When I was a footballer, the national team coach called the club coaches. “No one asked anything about how the players are doing, how they feel,” Guardiola said.
“I understand,” he added. “Nobody wants to get injured. I always encourage them to go to their national team. It’s a pleasure. But if you have a friendly, you can’t come with an injury,” he added.
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Rodri, Oscar Bobbd and Kevin De Bruyne are the other absentees from City.
De Bruyne is the one who is closest to returning after participating in training, but Guardiola indicated that the Belgian attacking midfielder still does not feel completely well after suffering a groin ailment on the previous Champions League match against Inter Milan on September 18.
Guardiola does not want to take risks with De Bruyne, 33 years old.
“It’s not something serious, but he doesn’t feel completely recovered,” Guardiola said. “Kevin is not 22 years old, he has to be fit to play.”
City scored four points in the first two rounds of the renewed Champions League after drawing 0-0 with Inter and beating Slovan Bratislava 4-0.
