Kevin De Bruyne Injury Confirmed: How Many Games Will The Man City Star Miss?

Kevin De Bruyne Injury Confirmed: How Many Games Will The Man City Star Miss?

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has shared an update on Kevin De Bruyne’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

De Bruyne was substituted at half-time during City’s goalless Champions League draw with Inter Milan due to a groin injury and has missed the team’s last two matches against Arsenal and Watford.

Before last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal, Guardiola provided a positive update on De Bruyne’s recovery, saying, “he feels a little better.” Following City’s 2-1 EFL Cup win over Watford on Wednesday, Guardiola further clarified that the 33-year-old’s injury is “not serious.”

Despite this, De Bruyne has not participated in first-team training this week and is not yet ready to return for Saturday’s trip to Newcastle.

When asked about De Bruyne’s availability during a press conference on Friday, Guardiola responded: “No. I don’t know (when he will return). Maybe before or after the international break. We will see.”

How Many Man City Games Will De Bruyne Miss?

Including this weekend’s match against Newcastle, Manchester City have three more fixtures before the international break in mid-October. After the trip to St James’ Park, City will face Slovan Bratislava away in the Champions League on Tuesday, followed by a Premier League home game against Fulham.

While City hope to have Kevin De Bruyne back after the break, if his recovery takes longer, he could miss the October 20 match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

City will then wrap up October with three fixtures in seven days across three competitions, facing Sparta Prague (Champions League), Southampton (Premier League), and Tottenham Hotspur (EFL Cup fourth round).

Meanwhile, Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri is out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, and the club may look to sign a replacement in January. City are also dealing with the absence of Oscar Bobb (leg fracture) and Nathan Ake (muscle), though Ake could return after the international break.