According to Sky Sports injury expert Ben Dinnery, Manchester City could have an agreement in place with Gareth Southgate to make sure that right-back Kyle Walker isn’t too heavily involved whilst on duty with England this month.
The Lowdown: Walker’s injury concerns
The 32-year-old veteran sustained an ankle injury earlier in the season during the Sky Blues’ Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid. Pep Guardiola at one point even confirmed that the £150k-per-week star had been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Despite these fears, the defender managed to make a comeback and was named on the bench for City’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Aston Villa on the final day of the season, which clinched the Manchester outfit the Premier League title in dramatic style.
It was then revealed by the club’s media team just last week that the Sheffield-born talent had been included in the Three Lions squad for their upcoming Nations League games.
The Latest: Dinnery’s agreement claim
Speaking during an interview with Football Insider, Dinnery revealed that he thinks Southgate will be very sensible when it comes to Walker’s game time. He told correspondent Adam Williams:
“He is a very, very fit player.
“We saw that when he returned in the Champions League semi-final. He had done very little training with the group but he put his body on the line.
“Then, after being ruled out for the season, he made a surprise inclusion on the bench for the final day. The time between then and now will certainly have helped him.
“I’m sure Gareth Southgate will have agreed with clubs that he won’t be pushing players unnecessarily. I can’t see Kyle Walker playing every minute of every game.”
The Verdict: An integral England starter
The City gem first made his England debut under Fabio Capello 11 years ago and has since gone on to become an integral part of the Wembley outfit’s starting XI, having been capped 65 times to provide eight assists across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
Walker has been equally as effective in and out of possession for Southgate’s team, where he averages 1.3 tackles and clearances apiece along with 6.5 long balls per game, via WhoScored, showing the impact he can have at both ends of the pitch.
The Three Lions are set to face Germany, Italy, and Hungary in their forthcoming fixtures over the next few weeks as they begin their preparations for the start of the World Cup in November.