Kevin de Bruyne is one of the world’s best players in his position, and he has been at the heart of Pep Guardiola’s success at Manchester City. The Belgian was outstanding for City even before the arrival of Guardiola but developed into an all-round player under the Spaniard, improving his playmaking ability and becoming one of the best passers in the game.
Kevin de Bruyne has 102 assists so far in the Premier League, becoming one of the only four players to have surpassed the century mark. De Bruyne formed a deadly partnership with Erling Haaland last season, assisting 13 of Haaland’s 52 goals in all competitions.
Is Kevin de Bruyne injured?
Pep Guardiola will be forced to field a team without his star playmaker De Bruyne for the next few weeks as the Belgian sustained an injury in the club’s opening game against Burnley. De Bruyne only lasted 22 minutes before a hamstring injury forced him off in the 3-0 defeat of Burney. According to Pep Guardiola, the former Chelsea player will be replaced by summer signing Matteo Kovacic, and Kevin may miss the next few weeks.
🚨| Kevin de Bruyne is continuing to undergo tests today on a potential hamstring problem.
The midfielder is expected to be out a few weeks. 🤕 pic.twitter.com/iaUMm8XJHm
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 14, 2023
“He was injured, unfortunately. Same place and position as the Champions League, and he will be out for a while. It depends on the magnitude of the injury but will be a few weeks out,” Guardiola announced.
A similar injury forced De Bruyne off in May’s Champions League final against Inter Milan. Guardiola admitted that it might have been a mistake on his end to start him against Burnley, knowing he was recovering from an injury that kept him out for months. The Belgian reportedly continues undergoing tests on his hamstring to determine the extent of the injury, with many predicting that it may keep him out for the next few months.
Who can fill in for De Bruyne in Man City’s starting XI?
With De Bruyne set to miss the next few weeks nursing his hamstring injury, his place in the team is up for grabs, and the most likely player to take it is the new summer signing from Chelsea, Matteo Kovacic. The Croatian international replaced De Bruyne against Burnely and may keep his place in the starting lineup for the next few games.
Man City lost Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona on a free transfer some months ago and may be forced to sign at least another midfielder for squad depth. Caicedo and Lavia are off the market as they’ve both decided to sign for Chelsea, and recent reports suggest that City may break the bank to sign Lucas Paqueta from West Ham.
Will injuries hamper Manchester City’s season? Let us know what you think in the comments.
