Pep Guardiola says Kevin De Bruyne will miss Saturday’s home match against the Magpies – and could face months out. The Belgian international hobbled off in the first half during Friday night’s opening-day victory over Burnley.
The midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in the Champions League final and admitted afterwards that he had not been 100% for much of the second half of the 2022-23 season. He was deemed fit to start the new campaign at Turf Moor, but lasted only 24 minutes. Providing an update on the player’s injury ahead of their European Super Cup tie with Sevilla,
Pep Guardiola said: “It’s serious, the injury. We have to decide if it’s surgery or not surgery, but it will be a few months out.”
Guardiola said that decision will be taken in the “next days” and De Bruyne faces “three or four months out” if he goes under the knife.
Pep Guardiola said: “Ramon (Cugat) saw the images. He didn’t personally (do anything) and they have two or three doctors have the same opinion, more or less, what they have to do. I have to say the injury for Kevin is a sore blow for us, so he’s a big loss. Kevin has specific qualities that you can lose for one game, two games, but for a long time is really, really tough for us. But at the same time you have to look forward and of course you have alternatives there with different skills because the skills for Kevin are irreplaceable. But you have different talent players so it’s an opportunity. Life gives you that. When there’s an injury, there’s an opportunity for the other ones and I’m pretty sure they will take it.”
Asked if the injury was down to bad luck or De Bruyne returning too soon,
Pep Guardiola shot back: “Give me 25 days of preparation and he will not be injured. Before I take the decision I spoke to the doctors, the physios with him and he told me ‘I feel good, I feel good’. So, I said ‘ok, it’ s better start then half-time (take him off) but unfortunately it happened.”
