Pep Guardiola had a rare attack of sentimentality when he sent on Scott Carson for the final 20 minutes of the Champions League game with Sporting Lisbon. The Manchester City boss took off regular keeper Ederson to allow the 36-year-old third-choice stopper a chance to play - perhaps for the last time.
Carson 's contract is up in the summer and while he is regarded as an important figure around the camp, both as a popular teammate and a wise old head for the younger players, his career could be coming to an end. Guardiola played him last season at Newcastle, in a 4-3 win, so that he could rack up a Premier League appearance for the Blues, once the title had been secured.
His appearance against Sporting was for the same reasons, although Guardiola hailed the Cumbrian for his late save from Paulinho that ensured the game stayed goalless, a save which also saw him need lengthy treatment for a knee injury.
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Guardiola said: "We are delighted - he is very important behind the scenes. The chemistry with Eddy and Zack (Steffen), people listen to him. It was important and he made a big save to ensure we didn’t lose the game."
Carson was on the bench because second-choice Steffen is still recovering from a shoulder injury, and his appearance was his first in the Champions League since he turned out for Liverpool in 2005-06, believed to be the greatest gap between appearances in the tournament's history.
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