‘He’s with Bayern Munich’, Pep Guardiola refuses to comment on Cancelo’s playing time

Manchester [United Kingdom], March 11 (ANI): Manchester City’s versatile full-back is facing a huge dilemma this season with Cancelo leaving after facing a lack of playing time for the Premier League title defenders.

In January he found a new home in Bayern Munich as the German Giants swooped in to acquire the Portuguese full-back services for a loan till the end of the season. Cancelo made a bright start in Bundesliga as he marked his debut with an assist. But now he is back on the bench struggling to make his way into the playing eleven.

Pep Guardiola Manchester City’s manager was asked about Cancelo’s lack of playing time in the Bundesliga. But the Spaniard shrugged off the question in a matter of seconds. While talking in the pre-match conference before the Crystal Palace game Pep said, ” He’s with Bayern Munich. At the end of the season, we will review the cases – players that are here, not here, loan cases. At the end of the season. Joao is a player for Bayern Munich,” Pep Guardiola said.

While Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann shed some light on the recent absence of Joao Cancelo from the starting eleven. While talking in the pre-match conference on Friday Nagelsmann said, “He will get a chance to start, as of now.
“In one practice he wasn’t really that sharp because he didn’t really like the situation he was in; when he’s not playing not everything is well. There are players who cope with it better, others not as much,” Nagelsmann said.

“There was one training session where he was not performing as I wanted him to but I had a really good chat with him.

“I was talking to him about my path, about which chances might develop. I think this chat — he was very open as well, it was not just about football — will be really beneficial to him. He was training well after it. He has the joy back on the pitch,” Nagelsmann continued.

The 28-year-old left Manchester City after the young English right back Rico Lewis emerged through the ranks to send Cancelo down the pecking order. Lewis consistently became a reliable figure for Guardiola.

Cancelo is now stuck in a similar situation with Bayern as well. Benjamin Pavard has made it hard for Cancelo to thrive in Bundesliga. At the end of the season, he will get more clarity about his future. bayern Munich has the option to secure the services of Cancelo on a permanent basis but it is still unclear if they are going to go through with it or not.