BEVERLY HILLS, January 22, (THEWILL) – Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne will be sidelined for between four to six weeks due to a hamstring injury, City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday.
The injury to De Bruyne came in Wednesday’s 2-0 home win over Aston Villa. With the estimated length of time he will be away, he will miss some of the club’s crucial English Premier League ties next month against defending champions Liverpool, José Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur and, in all likelihood, Arsenal.
In a double blow to City, Guardiola also confirmed that Kyle Walker, who only returned after his COVID-19 isolation period ended, would miss Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at League Two Cheltenham. He picked up a slight problem in the same match.
The City boss allayed fears of another lengthy layoff: “Kyle had a big impact kick in his hips, but just a kick, so is not available tomorrow but we wish he is available for the next game.”
About De Bruyne, Guardiola said: “Kevin, the doctor had to review the scan this morning, and he will be out between four and six weeks.”
There will be at least nine matches in the six-week estimated length of De Bruyne’s injury which will include their Champions League last-16 first leg against German side Borussia Monchengladbach at Borussia Park. That recovery timeline will mean the Belgian international will be looking at returning in March.
“We have to move forward,” said Guardiola. “I’m not saying that nobody doesn’t know about his importance.
“Unfortunately for him and us, he’ll be out for an important part of the season, and we have to find a solution because everyone’s struggling in this situation, and we have to adapt.
“The players don’t want to get injured, but they are human. Why in the FA Cup can we use five subs but in the league not? It is a different competition. Is it a special one? It’s not just because it’s Kevin. It is everyone for the past five seasons. It is too many games.”
Their recent resurgence have seen City climb to second in the league, with a game in hand and only two points behind rivals Manchester United.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
