Manchester City has received a boost in its efforts to secure yet another Premier League trophy following the return of Kevin De Bruyne from injury. However, Liverpool could also be in line for a similar situation in the near future.
De Bruyne, 32, had previously been sidelined after re-aggravating a hamstring injury he picked up in the Champions League final against Inter Milan. The Belgian international was substituted in the opening game of the season against Burnley and only made his return in January — and what a return it has been.
City’s star man first returned as a substitute during the FA Cup fourth-round tie against Huddersfield Town. Within 15 minutes of his arrival, the midfield maestro had already teed his international teammate Jérémy Doku up to score the fifth goal on the afternoon for his side. Normality was restored.
Following on from this, another substitute appearance in the dying embers of the game against Newcastle United. St James’ Park Stadium is a tough place for any player to go, let alone one returning to full match fitness after several months on the sidelines.
The scoreline sat at 2-1 to the hosts, before De Bruyne quickly netted the equalizer with a neat finish into the bottom corner — just five minutes after coming on. City would go on to win the game thanks to a late winner from young prospect Oscar Bobb, which was of course set up by an inch-perfect pass from De Bruyne.
Across his first five games back, he has four assists and one goal to his name — spearheading City’s revival in the title race as they closed the gap to just two points on Liverpool with their win against Brentford on Monday. De Bruyne’s influence has been clear to see.
While his return has inevitably dampened the hopes of Liverpool fans and their chances of securing the Premier League title, supporters can take hope from the situation. Liverpool has been without their own star man, Mohamed Salah, since January 1 when he helped his squad cruise past Newcastle before jetting off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
The 31-year-old would then go on to pick up an injury while away in the Ivory Coast and has since returned to the club to undergo his rehabilitation process. While a return date is not yet set in place, Salah has been pictured jogging on the training ground and working relentlessly in the gym, with a comeback possible throughout February.
City and De Bruyne are a clear example of the impact a player of De Bruyne’s or Salah’s caliber can have on a squad. Liverpool will hopefully look to replicate their successes once their talisman is back in the starting XI.
