The 3-0 win at Burnley yesterday came with a price as Manchester City will be without star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne for, as manager Pep Guardiola put it, “a few weeks.”
The big Belgian had to be subbed off after just 24 minutes, and it appears that it’s a re-aggravation of the same injury that has been nagging him for most of 2023.
“Hamstring,” Guardiola responded when asked about the De Bruyne situation. “It depends on the magnitude of the injury but he will be out for a few weeks.”
One of the best overall midfielders in the entire world, De Bruyne will surely be missed as Man City commence a season in which they’re defending three titles.
It was in the match that clinched the third and final trophy of the treble, the UCL title win over Inter Milan, where De Bruyne suffered (well, sort of) this hamstring injury.
We say “sort of” because he later admitted that he spent most of the second half of last season playing through the pain. Basically, he less than 100% for a long time. He didn’t even get to have a preseason this summer, due to the injury.
This has prompted speculation that perhaps De Bruyne was rushed back too soon.
Even Guardiola admitted that scenario was indeed possible.
“Maybe it was a mistake,” he said.
“But when someone is injured after 15 minutes, 20 minutes it was not about that, it’s about something being wrong.
“After 65 [minutes] it could be the fatigue of the muscle. We will have to talk with the doctor and him. He has to free his mind and he will be back, for sure.
“I remember one year, our second Premier League together, he was out a long, long time injured. He needs to relax and he knows a little bit what it’s like.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.