Guardiola reveals why Kyle Walker isn’t playing for Man City. Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has provided explanations for Kyle Walker’s absence from his team’s regular lineup.
Only two of the Premier League champions’ last seven games have seen Walker start.
Guardiola has recently positioned John Stones as an additional center midfielder for his team during games.
“He is unable to accomplish it. He’ll always move quickly, and at 60, he’ll be the fastest person in this room. He has various traits, therefore you have to move about to play inside “explained he. “Kyle has done it really well, but with this shape of three in the back and two in the center he cannot do it,” said the coach. “He has played as a full-back coming inside with four in the back with Joao [Cancelo] or Alex [Zinchenko] in that position.”
Guardiola said that the 32-year-old is unable to understand the tactical cues necessary to fill Stones’ current position before Saturday’s match against Southampton.
Guardiola reveals why Kyle Walker isn’t playing for Man City
Kyle has other traits, so you have to move around to play inside.
“He cannot do it with this form of three at the back and two in the middle. It comes down to skills. He’ll need time in that situation, and we don’t have it,” Guardiola added.
“He can play coming inside and he has done it many times but like in the position of Liverpool with Rodri and John, he will maybe need time to do it and we don’t have time. It’s just a question of skills,” he added.
“The quality sometimes you need some specific things, there are players that have his qualities. You would not ask Riyad [Mahrez] to play as a full-back because he cannot play as a full-back. The reason why is tactical. It’s not because we lost faith in Kyle.”
Guardiola’s comments suggest Walker may have to get used to life on the bench for the time being. The City coach has used both John Stones and Rico Lewis in the role so far this season and both players now appear ahead of Walker in the pecking order.
