Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Kevin De Bruyne is unlikely to start when Manchester City face Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday evening.
The midfielder was an unused substitute during the defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend and, while Guardiola says De Bruyne could have played the last 15 minutes at the Vitality Stadium, he wants to ease the player back into action:
“Kevin [on Friday] only started to feel better but it’s been a month and a half, and the game [against Bournemouth] was so demanding.”
“Maybe in the last 10 or 15 minutes for us we could have done it, but especially with Kevin I try to [look] after him. When he came back after five months injured last season, he finished well and started well after he comes back again. Of course, we need him, and he will be back. Try to [ease him back], in the right moment, and in the right [place] to do it.”
Guardiola is keen to avoid the mistake he made at the start of last campaign
De Bruyne injured his hamstring in the 2023 Champions League final and he only returned to fitness in the days leading up to the opening fixture of the 2023/24 season against Burnley.
Despite that, Guardiola decided to start the Belgian at Turf Moor and he lasted just 23 minutes. He was sidelined for another five months.
Having spent several weeks on the sidelines with a groin problem this season, it seems Guardiola is cautious about putting him back in too soon.
When could De Bruyne start for City?
There is a chance that, if the 33-year-old gets some minutes off the bench versus Sporting, he could make the starting lineup on Saturday evening when the Premier League champions take on Brighton at the Amex.
However, it’s probably likelier that De Bruyne’s return to the first eleven will come after the international break, potentially against Tottenham on November 23rd.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
