Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, may receive positive news regarding the injury status of key players after the international break, particularly from Kevin De Bruyne.
In the past 10 days, Guardiola has been closely monitoring the international matches of many of his City stars. Fortunately, no serious injuries have occurred among his players.
This is encouraging news for Guardiola, who has faced challenges due to the absence of two crucial players, Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, in recent weeks, with De Bruyne set to miss the remainder of the season.
In addition to the aforementioned players, Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb have also been sidelined for an extended period.
Regarding De Bruyne, he has been unavailable since leaving the field during halftime in City’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan a month ago. The midfielder was not included in Belgium’s squad for the matches against Italy and France in the UEFA Nations League. Belgium’s head coach, Domenico Tedesco, revealed that De Bruyne requested not to be called up for the national team’s matches in November.
Concerns had arisen that De Bruyne might face a long absence, but it appears to be a precautionary decision aimed at allowing him to focus on regaining his optimal fitness to play for City.
“It’s not a major issue, but he’s still not well. We’re trying to manage his physical situation,” Guardiola said, previously suggesting that De Bruyne could return after the international break.
“It’s better for him to play fewer minutes, but players often want to play every match. That’s good, but sometimes their bodies send warning signals. We have to be careful because they are human beings who have gone through many matches and injuries,” he added.
Many sources indicate that De Bruyne and Nathan Ake could return for the match against Wolves this weekend. However, it is likely that both players will only feature as substitutes to regain match fitness. Currently, Manchester City sits second in the league table with 17 points, just one point behind leaders Liverpool.