Pep Guardiola hints at Kyle Walker return as Manchester City boss talks Bayern Munich and Thomas Tuchel ahead of Champions League tie

Kyle Walker could make a return to Manchester City’s starting XI against Bayern Munich in the opening leg of the Champions League quarter final on Tuesday evening.

The England international has seen consistent minutes hard to come by in recent months following the initial rise of City academy star Rico Lewis and the subsequent form displayed by John Stones at right back.

Guardiola led City to their eighth consecutive win in all competitions on Saturday as the Blues made up ground to league leaders Arsenal, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

The attention shifts to the Champions League for treble-chasing City in midweek as Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich make the trip to Manchester for the opening leg of the Champions League quarter final.

Walker has started each of Manchester City’s last three league outings on the bench and was brought on after 56 minutes against Southampton at the weekend; his most recent Premier League start coming in a 2-0 win over Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium in early March.

Guardiola has stated that a drop in game time for the England international is solely down to tactical reasons and is not the result of a lack of faith in Walker, who joined City from Tottenham in 2017.

However, speaking ahead of City’s first leg against Bayern Munich, the Catalan has hinted that Walker’s pace and ability to deal with fast attackers puts him in contention to start from the off on Tuesday evening.

“Maybe – we will see,” the 52-year-old said in a press conference on Monday afternoon, which could see John Stones revert back to centre back against the Bavarians, who will see Joao Cancelo and Leroy Sane return to the Etihad Stadium.

Bayern Munich are one of the strongest sides in the competition and their quarter-final tie against City has all the makings of an all-time European classic.

On the quality possessed by the German giants, whom Guardiola managed from 2013-16, the Catalan added: “They (Bayern Munich) are so creative, very good attacking players. We have to score goals, it is a good test for us. Like I said before, when we start a game we have to perform our best.

“Bayern are not built for the second leg, they are built to win. If they defend more than usual, it’s because we are doing well. But if we don’t, we will defend more than usual. But I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

Guardiola faces another touchline battle against Tuchel, who replaced Julian Nagelsmann as Bayern head coach in March after being relieved of his duties as Chelsea manager at the start of the season.

“I was suprised (when Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel) as I was with (Julian) Nagelsmann (being sacked by Bayern),” the City boss said.

“I cannot give a real opinion. When a manager is sacked and the next manager is doing well, people say it’s a good decision. When (it is the) opposite, they miss the old manager.”

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Tuchel was appointed Chelsea manager midway through the 2020/21 season when Chelsea parted ways with Frank Lampard, with the German leading the west London outfit to their second Champions League title less than six months from accepting the job.

“Both (Nagelsmann and Tuchel) are creative managers and the shapes they play. It will be difficult against Nagelsmann and it will be difficult against Tuchel.”

Form has come at the right time for City, who are firing on all cylinders heading into the opening leg at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, and Guardiola will be keen to limit the threat his former side could pose under Tuchel.