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Team News: Kyle Walker on Manchester City bench, Marcelo Brozovic captains Inter Milan

sportsmole.co.uk, 10 June 2023, 17:38
Kyle Walker has been named on Manchester City's bench for tonight's Champions League final against Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.

The 33-year-old emerged as a minor injury doubt in the build-up after Pep Guardiola revealed that the defender had picked up a "disturbance in his back" in the closing stages of last weekend's FA Cup final win over rivals Manchester United.

Walker insisted that he would be fit to play against Inter, but the England international will begin as a substitute tonight, with Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake all preferred in the back three in front of first-choice goalkeeper Ederson, who is recalled at the expense of Stefan Ortega.

John Stones will continue in his hybrid midfield role alongside lynchpin Rodri, with midfield maestros Kevin De Bruyne and captain Ilkay Gundogan - who may play his final match for City tonight with his contract expiring on June 30 - retaining their places slightly further forward.

Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish will occupy the flanks, while record-breaking goal machine Erling Braut Haaland will lead the line for Guardiola's treble chasers, who are seeking to become the first English club since Man United in 1999 to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.

As for Simeone Inzaghi's Inter, Marcelo Brozovic has been recalled to the starting lineup and will captain the Nerazzurri, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was nursing a minor thigh issue in the build-up, dropping to the substitutes' bench.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana will be protected by defensive trio Matteo Darmian - formerly of Man United - Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni, while Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco will continue as wing-backs.

Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calahoglou will link arms with Brozovic in the middle of the pitch, while former Man City striker Edin Dzeko is preferred ahead of Romelu Lukaku to lead the line at the ripe old age of 37 alongside top scorer Lautaro Martinez.

Manchester City starting lineup: Ederson, Akanji, Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland

Subs: Ortega, Carson, Lewis, Walker, Laporte, Gomez, Perrone, Phillips, Mahrez, Foden, Palmer, Alvarez

Inter Milan starting lineup: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Martinez, Dzeko

Subs: Handanovic, Cordaz, Gagliardini, De Vrij, Gosens, Bellanova, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, D'Ambrosio, Skriniar, Lukaku

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