Pep Guardiola slammed Kyle Walker for being suspended for Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is still furious with Kyle Walker for picking up a Champions League suspension ahead of the knockout stages of the competition.
Walker was shown a red card for kicking out at RB Leipzig’s Andre Silva during City’s 2-1 defeat at the start of December last year.
The defender is set to miss both legs of the upcoming knockout stage tie with Sporting Lisbon, and Guardiola is still annoyed with Walker.
Joao Cancelo is ill, while Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias are injured, leaving Guardiola without four of his first-choice defenders.
“He deserved the three-game ban,” the Spaniard said. “When a player does a stupid thing, he deserves [punishment]. I’m not so kind to Kyle in this kind of action. I’m still so angry with him.
“Kyle is so important for us – you saw the game he played against Man Utd [on Sunday]. But in Leipzig when we had already qualified, 80 minutes in and he made this kind of action?
“The club appealed but I did not agree. They have to do it because in other similar cases it was just two games [but] he deserved it. Hopefully he learns for the future.
“We have just 14 players available. We have a few problems, the suspension for Kyle, João is sick. We are in a little bit of trouble behind, in the back four. Of course we had an incredible result in the first leg, we start 5-0, but it is not done.”
Kevin De Bruyne is one yellow card away from missing City’s next game in the competition, and Guardiola added: “Maybe he will not start.”
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