Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City coach, is optimistic that Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the team after a four-month hiatus will be advantageous as his side seeks to beat Liverpool to the Premier League title. The midfielder is on the verge of making only his second start of the season following a hamstring injury that required surgery and kept him out of action since the opening weekend.
De Bruyne has been vigorously training for almost a fortnight now, demonstrating considerable energy, Guardiola noted. The coach was mulling over whether De Bruyne would be reinstated into the squad for the Sheffield United match after Friday afternoon’s training session and he was named among the subs. With John Stones, Jérémy Doku and Erling Haaland still unavailable, there were openings in the matchday squad.
De Bruyne resumed training with his teammates in Jeddah for the Club World Cup and is inching closer to regaining match fitness after being limited to roughly an hour of play this season. Guardiola is currently exercizing restraint with the 32-year-old, believing that his time off could have been beneficial.
“He’s training with a lot of energy. Being injured is not good for anyone but I think for his mind it will have been good to have a few months off,” Guardiola commented. He further cautioned about rushing De Bruyne’s return due to his major surgery and muscular injury. Although he may appear ready, it’s crucial to consider how many minutes he can handle and proceed gradually.
De Bruyne has expressed his readiness to return to Guardiola after several weeks of training. However, before deciding on De Bruyne’s inclusion in future matchday squads and his playing duration, Guardiola will seek advice from the medical team.
Manchester City will face Huddersfield in the FA Cup next weekend followed by Newcastle in the Premier League before taking a mid-season break. Key players like Haaland and Stones are expected to return sometime this month, which will undoubtedly boost City’s morale in the gripping title race.
Despite Stones’ absence potentially causing difficulties for City due to his unique skill set, Guardiola remains confident that the team will cope. “We handled it this season and still we are there and we are not far away. We have won already two titles this season and qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League,” he asserted.
Guardiola emphasized that while the absence of key players is regrettable, they will continue to compete with the available players and assist those who are unfit in their recovery process. Liverpool faces Newcastle United on Monday with several key injuries of its own, though Alexis Mac Allister could make his return.
