Rico Lewis, out of the next Manchester City matches
Rico Lewis will miss Manchester City’s next two games at the Club World Cup following the extension of his suspension, a result of the red card received against Wydad AC. Lewis already missed the victory by 6-0 over Al Ain in Atlanta on Sunday. The expulsion occurred at the end of the match against Wydad, which ended 2-0 in favor of City, for a foul on Samuel Obeng.Initially, Lewis was sanctioned for one match, but the sanction was extended to three matches. This means that the 20-year-old player will not be available for the last group stage match against Juventus, which will be played on Thursday in Orlando, Florida, nor in the round of 16. FIFA issued a statement regarding the matter: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has imposed the following sanction on Rico Lewis, from Manchester City, who was sent off as a result of a direct red card during the FIFA Club World Cup match against Wydad AC. Three-match suspension for violation of Article 14, paragraph 1 e) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.” The City appealed the decision, but was unsuccessful. This poses a dilemma for Guardiola ahead of the match against Juventus, as City needs to win to secure the first place in their group. Lewis is the only natural right-back in the squad, although midfielder Matheus Nunes was regularly used in that position last season. Abdukodir Khusanov played as a right-back against Al Ain, while center-back Manuel Akanji has also been used in that position. Kyle Walker, a natural right-back, is not with the team in the United States, as he seeks to secure his departure from the Etihad Stadium.The red card was “unnecessary”.
Pep Guardiola
