Tim Sherwood told Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports (20/02/21 at 2:05 pm) that Manchester City don’t even need to play Kevin de Bruyne against Arsenal today.
Both teams have important European fixtures coming up – with Man City due to play Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday and the Gunners set to lock horns with Benfica for a second time.
It’s not good news for Arsenal fans because De Bruyne has just returned from injury and the £55 million playmaker (BBC Sport) is pressing for a start to get those juices flowing again.
But given the nature of what’s coming up for the runaway Premier League leaders, Sherwood thinks De Bruyne shouldn’t play.
“I think he (Guardiola) probably saves him (De Bruyne) for the Champions League,” said Sherwood. “No need to panic. Gundogan might have a groin injury, so that might change his option.
“Over the years, we have said he cannot do without Laporte. He cannot do without De Bruyne. He cannot do without Aguero. Someone always steps up to the mark. The manager improves the players.
“Do they need Kevin de Bruyne for this game? Probably not and they can rest him.”
In truth, Arsenal fans could also make the argument that their key players should be rested for this fixture.
Some Arsenal fans feel winning the Europa League is their best option of returning to Champions League football next season, and given their current league standing, they’ll do well to get back into Europe full stop.
So, perhaps putting all their eggs into one basket could be the option going forward for the Gunners.
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