Manchester City have been handed an injury setback ahead of a crucial match against Premier League title contender Arsenal.
The Cityzens right back, Kyle Walker was pictured dealing with severe pain during England’s game against Brazil on Saturday, March 23, 2024.
Saturday night saw Walker don the captain’s armband as England locked horns with Brazil in a friendly game at Wembley Stadium.
The Three Lions suffered a 1-0 defeat with 17-year-old Endrick scoring the winner in the second half, setting a record as the youngest-ever player to score a club/country goal at Wembley, and also the youngest player to score for Brazil since Ronaldo ‘Fenomeno’ in 1994.
However, Kyle Walker’s injury comes as a massive blow for Manchester City who are all set to take on Arsenal in a vital Premier League game on March 31 once the international break is over.
Just 20 minutes into the intense game, Walker was forced to be substituted with a potential injury. The current treble winner was replaced by Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa and was caught walking down the tunnel towards the dressing room after being substituted.
The former Tottenham player initially tried to run off the injury but he failed to continue for long and was eventually forced to leave the pitch with a
suspected hamstring problem.
It appeared that the right-back may have suffered a hamstring injury, but Southgate did say that Walker would be assessed by the medical team over the coming days.
Speaking to reporters, the England boss said; “We don’t know (how serious it is)”.
He added; “He’s not had many injuries so he’s not sure if it’s just tightness or something more serious. We’ll know more over the next few days”
The 33-year-old defender continues to remain a crucial member of the Manchester City team. He has appeared in 38 games across all competitions for the English club this season and provided three assists.
Kyle Walker breaks injury silence and makes vow ahead of Man City vs Arsenal clash
Kyle Walker has provided an update on the injury he suffered with England ahead of his club’s clash against Arsenal.
After the injury he suffered against Brazil, Walker took to his Instagram page to provide an update
The Man City defender expressed his frustration at being forced to be withdrawn early in the game for England and was confident about the severity of the injury – promising to be back “as soon as possible” ahead of the crucial clash against Arsenal.
He wrote; “Frustrating to come off injured in last night’s game especially when captaining the side”.
He added; “A truly great honor. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious and I’m back ASAP.”
Mikel Arteta, on the other hand, will also be hoping that his Arsenal players return free from injury after the international break.
During the England/Brazil match, the Three Lions had Declan Rice play the full 90 minutes, while Bukayo Saka had already been withdrawn from the squad during the week with a fitness issue.
What’s next?
Pep Guardiola’s side will be keeping their fingers crossed that the issue with Walker is not serious.
In addition, Man City are in the middle of a Premier League title race with Arsenal and Liverpool, while they take on Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League next month.
