The Community Shield will soon be upon us, and regardless of how much or how little you value the event, its appearance always signals the arrival of the new season. It doesn’t look like Julian Alvarez will be a part of it, however, as he’s finalizing his move to Atletico Madrid.
Alvarez is poised to break the club’s record for transfer fee on a sale.
FA Community Shield FYIs
Manchester derby “curtain raiser”
Kickoff: Sat. Aug 10, 6pm BST, Wembley Stadium, London, UK
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Man City Team News
Given that manager Pep Guardiola has said that Erling Haaland will have his minutes managed, it will be interesting to see what they do here up top.
Then again, Pep led City to a title in a season where Gabriel Jesus was the only true out and out striker on the roster, so they’ll find a way.
Speaking of experimenting with position placements, Kalvin Phillips may have found a new career lifeline at City, by playing central defender this summer preseason.
The emphasis is on “may” however, as he’s still being linked with a move away.
Both Everton and Galatasaray are said to be interested, so there is a chance that Phillips might miss out here, if a transfer exit starts to materialize.
City might have some added motivation here, having lost to their rivals in the FA Cup Final.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.