Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed Kevin De Bruyne is out for several weeks after a hamstring injury recurrence.
In the Premier League opener against Burnley, De Bruyne was taken off the field after only 24 minutes. The injury the Belgian sustained in the Champions League final against Inter in June recurred, according to Guardiola.
Speaking after the game, the tactician said: “Unfortunately he is injured again. A problem in the same position, he said to me, as in the final of the Champions League. It’s a pity because he had recovered well but now we have lost him for a time so we have to reflect, talk to the doctors, see what happened.
“He has to be relaxed, recover, and come back. He was feeling good and playing good in the first minutes. It depends on the magnitude of the injury but will be a few weeks out. Maybe it was my mistake [to play him] but when he is injured after 15-20 minutes it is not something wrong [with the decision] – when it is after 65 minutes it is the fatigue of the muscle.”
Uncertainty surrounds the length of the Belgian’s absence, but given that he was only sidelined for 24 minutes the last time, Guardiola won’t rush the 32-year-old back.
A timetable for the player’s comeback will be provided after tests are performed to determine the severity of the injury, although it might be some time before the midfielder is back on the field.