MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Kyle Walker is set to have only limited game time at Manchester City for the rest of the season because manager Pep Guardiola said the England right back is ill-equipped to play in the team’s new system.
Guardiola has been playing a three-man defense, pushing one of the full backs in a central-midfield role alongside Rodri. That has been John Stones in recent weeks, meaning Walker — who isn't as technically strong on the ball — has mostly been a substitute despite being a key member of City's success in recent years.
“He cannot do it,” Guardiola said of Walker playing as an inverted full back. “He will always have pace. He will be the fastest in this room at 60 years old. To play inside, you have to make some educated movements. He has other characteristics.
“He has played as a full back coming inside in the past with four in the back, with Joao (Cancelo) or Aleks (Zinchenko) in that position, and Kyle has done it really well. But with this shape of three in the back and two in the middle, he cannot do it ... he will maybe need time to do it and we don’t have time.”
The 32-year-old Walker, who is in his sixth season at City, had looked like he would benefit from the departure of Cancelo to Bayern Munich in January but that hasn't been the case.
Asked what Walker needed to do to earn his place back, Guardiola said: “Be himself. Train good, he can play in the three, three at the back on the right, and is maybe the best that we have. Sometimes we play with Manu (Akanji) or John. The reason why is tactical. It’s not because we lost faith in Kyle.”
The 28-year-old Stones has sometimes struggled when asked to push forward into midfield, but now he looks at home.
“Our shape was completely different when we tried it before and that was maybe why he struggled more,” Guardiola said. “Now we practice more, he knows more, our routine is a little better and that’s why we can use him.
“It is a new position for him and he has to concentrate all the time. When you play as a central defender or in other position, when you see the game from behind, it is completely different to when you are in the middle surrounded. Some movements and patterns are more difficult. That’s why I appreciate a lot what he has done.”
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