Pep Guardiola
Kevin De Bruyne could still appear for Manchester City against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, despite suffering a knock during Wednesday night’s Champions League match against Inter Milan. The 33-year-old Belgium captain was forced to leave the pitch at half-time in that midweek stalemate. However, further assessments have not ruled him out of this weekend’s game at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola said “He feels a little bit better today, but we have not yet had training and we will see, he could be [involved]. Every player needs a break. Unfortunately, the final decision [in the Inter match] he was not more calm, but his intensity and pressing and movements in small pockets, he’s one of the best in the world. That’s why we are very pleased he’s back.”
If De Bruyne is unable to play, then he would join Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake on City’s injury list. Bobb suffered a leg fracture before the start of the Premier League campaign, while Ake injured a hamstring in September’s break. Guardiola also confirmed that Phil Foden, who replaced De Bruyne in the Inter game, is fit to play a full 90 minutes after a disrupted start to the season.
