10 April 2023 , 15:45
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Manchester City face the prospect of playing against one of their own players on Tuesday night, with Joao Cancelo in contention to start for Bayern Munich.
City host the German giants at the Etihad for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Cancelo has made 154 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side – and remains contracted to the club until June 2027 – yet could play a part in ending their Champions League dream.
The 28-year-old full-back joined Bayern on loan until the end of the season in January after falling out with Guardiola. He had been a regular part of the City side since arriving from Juventus in 2019 and defender Ruben Dias has admitted it will be odd going up against him.
“I must confess it will be strange,” he said. “Not very long ago we were fighting together, but it is what it is. It's football, it's the life we lead. Decisions have been made and it is football
“We built a close relationship, especially me, him and Bernardo Silva.
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“We're always in touch and in contact, but when the game starts, each one of us will be on his own side.”
Joao Cancelo is fighting for a starting place vs his parent club (Helge Prang - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)Cancelo is eligible to play against City because, unlike the Premier League, UEFA do not stop loanees facing their parent club. However, he may not get into Thomas Tuchel’s starting line-up, with Benjamin Pavard and Alphonso Davies stern competition in the full-back positions.
Cancelo did start the last game – a 1-0 win over Freiburg on Saturday – but has been rotated in and out of the side. Bayern have the option to buy the Portugal international for £61million in the summer, but it remains uncertain whether they will do so after Tuchel replaced Julian Nagelsmann as manager.
"First I wish him the very best in his four months [on loan]. Next season I don't know what happens,” Guardiola said in February when asked about the deadline day move.
Pep Guardiola fell out with Joao Cancelo (PA)"An incredible figure in the last two leagues we won. After the World Cup, we make a pre-season and decided to play, in some patterns different. I like what I watch. I give more time to other players.
"His personality, mine, he loves to play. He trains the best, the situation he doesn't play much. In the last years one of the players with more minutes. He needs to play to be happy, we decide to let him go to Munich. He wants to play every single game and hopefully he can in Munich."
City come into the game on the back of a 4-1 win over Southampton – a result which was followed by Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool. The gap at the top of the Premier League table is now down to six points, with City also having a game in hand and the prospect of a home game against the Gunners on April 26.