Explanations for the respective absences of Manchester City pair Kyle Walker and Rodri from the club’s matchday squad to face Leicester City have been provided this afternoon.

Citizens cruising

Pep Guardiola’s men are of course currently locked in action.

As part of a jam-packed Boxing Day fixture list in the Premier League, the Sky Blues have welcomed the aforementioned Leicester to the Etihad, keen to extend their advantage atop the English top-flight to a full six points.

And, as things stand in Manchester on Sunday, City look well on their way towards precisely that.

A rampant opening quarter of an hour sees Guardiola and co. in possession of a 2-0 advantage, owing to strikes on the part of both Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez.

*Update* – Ilkay Gundogan has since made it 3-0.

Absences explained

City’s flying start up against Leicester, though, as alluded to above, has come without the services of two key members of Pep Guardiola’s ranks.

The players in question? Kyle Walker and Rodri.

Of course, owing to the concerning Covid-19 situation in the Premier League at present, concerns quickly spread for the Sky Blues pair, amid the assumption that both had likely returned positive Covid tests over the last couple of days.

Such fears, however, have since been quelled.

As confirmed in a post on Manchester City’s official website, neither Walker nor Rodri are ‘fully fit’, with risks, in turn, having not been taken on either player to feature against Leicester.

 

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