Why Joao Cancelo was not chosen for Man City’s Community Shield roster amid rumors of a trade to Barcelona.
Joao Cancelo’s absence from Manchester City’s Community Shield loss to Arsenal has been explained by Pep Guardiola.
WHAT OCCURED? Leandro Trossard’s equalizer in the 111th minute caused City to lose to Arsenal 4-1 on penalties at Wembley. Cole Palmer had given the treble winners the lead earlier. The starting lineup did not include Cancelo, who transferred to City from Bayern Munich and played for them throughout the preseason.
WHY DID CANCELO NOT GET INVOLVED? After allegedly having a falling out with Pep Guardiola, Cancelo spent the second half of the previous season on loan at the Allianz Arena. The squad no longer wants the fullback, and Barcelona and him have already reached a mutual understanding over a potential transfer.
Guardiola, though, refuted the claim that Cancelo’s absence was due to a prospective transfer following the game at Wembley. He [Cancelo] needs to go back to Portugal to settle a dispute with his family, the City Manager continued.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker have both been linked to moves to Bayern Munich and Barcelona, respectively. Walker and I had been anticipating having dinner together for a while, Guardiola remarked when asked about being seen eating with Walker last week. For us, he is extremely necessary. I sincerely hope he is able. They must communicate if they want him. Bernardo, in the same manner.
After that, what will Canello do? It’s unlikely that the Portuguese international football player will still be a City player in 2027, but he is still required by law to compete at the Etihad Stadium. On August 11, City will kick off its most recent Premier League season away at Burnley.
