Kyle Walker has been sidelined with a groin injury since the beginning of October and wasn’t expected to feature in Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Sevilla, but Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News revealed the 32-year-old was ‘missing from training’ ahead of the fixture.
Walker picked up the knock in City’s 6-3 win over Manchester United, coming off after 40 minutes, but it appears he’s still some way to recovering. The England international has already missed nine games in all competitions this season and Pep Guardiola isn’t sure if he’ll return before the 2022 World Cup.
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In Walker’s absence, Guardiola has used John Stones and Manuel Akanji at right-back, but Joao Cancelo is also an option if he can agree on who should take the left-back slot.
Ultimately, Pep could do with another full-back as Benjamin Mendy has been suspended for well over a year following alleged sex crimes and is likely to be released at the end of his contract next summer.
Walker has been a brilliant servant for City, making 223 appearances in all competitions since joining from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017, scoring six goals with 17 assists, but he’s in the eve of his career.
And if the 32-year-old doesn’t return for club duties before the World Cup, fans won’t see Walker in a City shirt until the end of December.
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