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A20 SPORTS
Saturday 24 November 2018

Guardiola to get creative again with Mendy out for 3 months

By STEVE DOUGLAS back occasionally toward
AP Sports Writer the end of last season —
With Benjamin Mendy fac- including against Liverpool
ing another long spell out in the Champions League
with a knee injury, Man- quarterfinals.
chester City manager Pep The Spanish coach said last
Guardiola is going to have season that the absence of
to get creative again at left Mendy made him change
back. Guardiola said Fri- his game plan, specifically
day that Mendy would be meaning that Leroy Sane
out for up to three months was his preferred winger on
after undergoing an oper- the left as the team need-
ation on a meniscus prob- ed genuine width on that
lem during the international side without Mendy.
break. It leaves the Premier This season, Raheem Ster-
League leaders without a ling has often played as
natural left back for one of City’s left winger but more
the busiest parts of the sea- as an inside forward, with
son, including the hectic Mendy charging forward
period over Christmas. outside him. City signed
City and Guardiola have Riyad Mahrez in the off-
been here before, how- season to bolster its attack-
ever. Mendy missed the ing options, but Guardiola
majority of last season after might prefer to go again
rupturing the anterior cru- In this file photo dated Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy kicks the ball with Sane and Sterling as
ciate ligament in his right during the English Premier League soccer match against Southampton at Etihad stadium in his wide forwards while
knee against Crystal Pal- Manchester, England. Mendy is out.
ace in September 2017. Associated Press City is unbeaten in its open-
He only returned to the ingly getting hurt against Fabian Delph and Olek- in the offseason, could be ing 12 games in the league,
team in April and wasn’t Manchester United in City’s sandr Zinchenko — both given more of a chance and arguably is looking
fully match sharp heading last game before the two- midfielders — are likely to this season and has already more dominant than last
into the World Cup, when week international break. be called on to fill in for played games in the Pre- season when the team
he was second-choice left He played the full 90 min- Mendy, just like last season. mier League and Cham- won the title in record-
back — behind Lucas Her- utes in the match, though. Delph was the main pick pions League in the open- breaking fashion — getting
nandez — in France’s run to “Ten to 12 weeks,” Guar- at left back and he was ing three months. Another more points, goals and wins
the title. diola said, when asked for a revelation in an out-of- option could be Aymeric than any other team since
This time, Mendy has in- a timescale on Mendy’s position role. Zinchenko, Laporte, a left-footed cen- the Premier League was
jured his left knee, seem- absence. who almost left the club ter back who played at left formed in 1992. q

Wallabies suspend Beale and Ashley-Cooper, Pocock out

Associated Press weekend against Italy, and other players get ready for
LONDON (AP) — Australia Beale was a replacement. the game.”
backs Kurtley Beale and Beale, at least, was Pocock’s unavailability was
Adam Ashley-Cooper expected to start against the greater blow. England
were not considered for England. identified him this week as
selection for the rugby Cheika decided one- its biggest threat, a menace
test against England this game suspensions were at the breakdowns. But the
weekend as punishment appropriate. neck problem which forced
for inviting women to their “There’s disappointment him off against Italy in the
hotel room. (from me), and they are second half, persisted.
Coach Michael Cheika disappointed, too,” Cheika “He wanted another day,
confirmed the sanction on said. “It’s a small error of which obviously you’ll
Friday, at the same time as judgment. It could be afford to a guy like him
announcing No. 8 David compared to not being on because he knows his body
Pocock was withdrawn curfew or late for training. better than anyone and
from Saturday’s test at If we want to compete had prepared better than
Twickenham after failing a with the best, all the small anyone, but he couldn’t
fitness test on his sore neck. shortcuts have to be gone, overcome it,” Cheika said.
Beale and Ashley-Cooper, Australia’s Kurtley Beale passes the ball in the tackle of a Welsh on and off the field. “And there’s a bit of me that
who have a combined defender during the rugby union international match between “Although this was a minor is relieved he came to that
200 caps, invited women Wales and Australia at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, thing, I felt that if you keep conclusion because he’d
to their hotel room after Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018 a grey area there then it been copping it. He’s been
losing to Wales 9-6 on Nov. Associated Press gets bigger, so I may as well getting smashed in there.”
10 in Cardiff. The Wallabies’ a rule that no guests are decided a breach make a stand on it and go Pete Samu was promoted
website believed the allowed in hotel rooms, occurred. from there. from the reserves, and wing
women were Ashley- and team leaders including But Cheika wasn’t informed “The two of them were very Marika Koroibete, who
Cooper’s sister-in-law and captain Michael Hooper, until Tuesday. Ashley- apologetic, they realized scored two tries against
friends. Pocock, Nick Phipps, Samu Cooper played his first test their error and they have Italy, was brought into the
However, Australia has Kerevi and Allan Alaalatoa in more than two years last been trying to help the reserves.q