Joao Cancelo’s Bayern Munich spell goes from bad to worse with on-loan Man City star set to miss biggest game of season
AS JOAO CANCELO is discovering, sometimes the grass is not always greener outside of the Premier League.
What should have been a career-changing loan spell with Bayern Munich has turned into a period of frustration for the Portugal wing-back.
GettyJoao Cancelo has been hooked in each of his only four starts for Bayern[/caption]
Cancelo, 28, is set to miss the biggest game of the season so far: Wednesday’s Champions League last 16, second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern chief Julian Nagelsmann will likely choose a more defensive approach, with academy graduate Josip Stanisic set to replace the suspended Benjamin Pavard.
Amid reports of training-ground rows with boss Pep Guardiola, Cancelo pushed to leave Manchester City in January.
And despite having no viable back-up, the club agreed.
But since arriving in the Bundesliga, Cancelo has yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Bayern. The four times he has started he has been hooked.
And in recent weeks, Nagelsmann has gone with a back three and Cancelo has been stuck on the bench.
Images of him sulking in training on Monday will not have helped.
It certainly will not persuade Bayern his £61.5million buy-out option is worth exploring.
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Nagelsmann yesterday praised “reliable” and “speedy” Stanisic, expecting the Croat, 22, to play despite a slight hamstring concern.
Striker Thomas Muller said: “Stani’s qualities are there to see. He’s a really tough fighter, he’s technically gifted.”
Meanwhile, Muller says Bayern have a plan to stop Kylian Mbappe as they protect a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg.
The German, 33, said: “If it goes according to our plan, he’s not going to have too much fun.”
