Man City star Kevin de Bruyne set for lengthy spell on sidelines as new details emerge – pundit
Man City can afford to leave out Kevin de Bruyne until he is fully fit.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie insisted De Bruyne will walk straight back into the City team when he is fully fit.
The 32-year-old limped off during the Sky Blues’ Champions League win over Inter Milan last month and is set to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The Belgian is likely to be absent for the start of the 2023-24 campaign after reportedly suffering a Grade Three hamstring tear following the Champions League final.
Although De Bruyne won’t need surgery, he will miss the Community Shield match against Arsenal at Wembley later this summer.
When asked if De Bruyne will struggle to get back into the side when he returns from the injury, McAvennie told Football Insider: “Not just Pep, no manager in the world could leave De Bruyne out.
“When he comes back and he is fit, he is a starter right away.
“He is the main guy out of all those superstars, just look at how many goals he gave [Erling] Haaland.
“When he is fit he walks in but they can afford for him to take his time, get himself fit.
“Pep has got that many players there he does not need to rush him back. Obviously, losing him for any time, especially a long time, is devastating. That’s how good he is. But he can get the proper time to recover.“
De Bruyne made 49 appearances across all competitions in City’s treble winning campaign last term.
The midfielder netted ten goals and offered up 31 assists in those outings.
In other news, Man City now working on signing Riyad Mahrez replacement after £80m+ deal agreed.