Pep Guardiola explains decision to drop De Bruyne for Man City’s match against Real Madrid
Jack Grealish has retained his position on the left side of the team, while Bernardo Silva is on the opposite flank. Mateo Kovacic has been reintroduced into the team alongside Rodri in the midfield. However, Kevin De Bruyne has been benched due to illness. Guardiola explained that De Bruyne felt unwell and was vomiting, expressing uncertainty about his ability to play at all.
Despite De Bruyne’s absence, Guardiola expressed confidence in the readiness of the other players to step up and contribute. Concerns were raised about how many minutes De Bruyne could play off the bench, and he was not seen warming up with the other substitutes. However, Guardiola has received a boost with the fitness of Josko Gvardiol, who is set to start. The Croatian had previously been withdrawn at half-time in City’s previous match, but is now fit to play.
With Nathan Ake and Kyle Walker absent, Gvardiol’s presence at full-back is seen as crucial for the team’s success.
