- Title: Walker "incredible" despite England snub says Guardiola
- Date: 4th October 2019
- Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, ON KYLE WALKER'S ENGLAND SQUAD OMISSION, SAYING: "Kyle Walker can do everything. But the opinion of the manager of the national team Gareth (Southgate). So, I'm not here to (judge), he made a selection, he has a huge selection of players to be you know, to select (from). And he's decided for the last two times and Kyle respects it, I respect it. Gareth do what he does is for the best for the national team, for England. So, I said what I said before, it's a big challenge for Kyle to show him (Southgate) day by day, game by game how good he is. Not because he's in national team, not in national team my opinion change and I think for Gareth neither. So he remains an incredible fullback." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, ON KEVIN DE BRUYNE AND JOHN STONES, SAYING: "He's everything (Kevin de Bruyne), after international break he will be ready. It's not a big problem." JOURNALIST: "And what about John Stones, how close is he (to a return)?" GUARDIOLA: "Hopefully after the international break he will be back." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, ON WOLVES, SAYING: "Yesterday, they took an incredible result (beating Besiktas 1-0 in Turkey in the Europa League) there, I saw the game. They were so solid like I expected. And you know again they have a team to make you suffer in the Premier League. So they are, I think, a big enough squad and they have. They know exactly what they have to do. So I think it's three or four season together with the same manager. Most of the players remain. He's solid structure defensively is really impressive. So we have to be smart and play good to take a result on Sunday." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, ON THE ETIHAD BECOMING A FORTRESS, SAYING: "No… I cannot imagine one team before the game, don't thinking we can do it (win a match at the Etihad). In good way, bad way, I don't think so. So I know the managers, how competitive all of them they are and how they try to seduce the players. Saying 'we can do it - we can go there and do a good game and try it.' If it's not possible, sometimes we didn't win but when we win it's because we do something good and we have to try to do it against one team we know quite well. We play many times against Nuno Espirito (Santo) teams in Carabao Cups and leagues and always good stuff."
- Embargoed: 18th October 2019 17:01
- Keywords: Pep Guardiola Manchester City Premier League Wolves Kyle Walker Kevin de Bruyne John Stones
- Location: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK
- City: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZOMSZJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS WHITE FLASHES
Kyle Walker remains "an incredible player" in the eyes of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola despite the right back once again being left out of the England squad.
The powerhouse has been a key player in City's two Premier League titles under Guardiola but appears to have slipped down England manager Gareth Southgate's pecking order.
He has been left out of the squad for the second time this season, with Southgate preferring Atletico Madrid's Kieran Trippier and Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold as his options for this month's England's Euro 2020 qualifiers in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
Walker, who has 48 caps for England, also faces stiff competition from Manchester United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka who is not in the squad because of illness.
Guardiola said he respected Southgate's opinion but he was full of praise for Walker on Friday (October 4).
Walker will likely be stationed at right back for Sunday's (October 6) Premier League home clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers when City could find themselves eight points adrift of Liverpool by kickoff.
Playmaker Kevin de Bruyne will miss out though because of a groin injury, Guardiola confirmed.
The in-form Belgian playmaker suffered the injury in the league win (September 28) over Everton and missed Tuesday's (October 1) Champions League victory over Dinamo Zagreb.
Guardiola said he was wary of a Wolves side that appears to be rediscovering the form of last season and beat Turkish club Besiktas away in the Europa League on Thursday (October 3).
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