Kyle Walker has been one of the best defenders for Manchester City during the last years. In the 2022-2023 Champions League, Pep Guardiola trusted him to stop Vinicius Jr in the blockbuster semifinal against Real Madrid. He did an extraordinary job.
This Saturday, Manchester City face the biggest moment in club history at Istanbul. If they hoist the European Cup in Turkey, the treble will become a reality: FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League.
That’s why many people expected to see Kyle Walker in the starting lineup for Manchester City against Inter. However, in an unexpected turn of events, there are important reasons why that won’t happen.
Why is Kyle Walker not playing in Manchester City vs Inter?
This is merely a tactical decision by Pep Guardiola. After using Kyle Walker as right-back in the series against Real Madrid to guard Vinicius Jr, Inter Milan present a different type of challenge.
Considering Simone Inzaghi will play with two center forwards such as Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez, Guardiola will go on defense with Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake. Both will accompany John Stones and Ruben Dias.
Nathan Ake suffered a hamstring injury during the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich, but, he seems to be fully recovered to play in the Champions League final. It’s a major opportunity for him to shine.
That’s the biggest move for Manchester City as the rest of the lineup is pretty familiar: Ederson, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland.
