admin Manchester City have been rocked by the news that talismanic midfielder Kevin De Bruyne won’t be fit for the start of next season following injury in the Champions League final.
Kevin De Bruyne will miss the start of the new season with a hamstring injury. The Manchester City star limped in the Champions League final win over Inter Milan late in the month. Scans have since revealed that De Bruyne, 31, suffered a third-degree thigh tear.
While the issue doesn’t require surgery this summer, it will prevent him from featuring in the Community Shield opener against Arsenal.De Bruyne’swill still be sidelined six days later when the treble winners open the Premier League away defense against newly promoted Burnley under Vincent Kompany.However, City’s medical service are optimistic the Etihad playmaker will at least return from the bench on August 16 – for the European Super Cup clash with Europa League kings Sevilla in Athens.
For now, De Bryune has been ordered to recover from his injury before beginning full rehabilitation next month in pre-season. He is expected to join his City team-mates in time for the club’s Far East tour, but only to continue his recovery and will not appear in any of the games.
City meet Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos (22 July) – in which City Football Group has a 20% stake – and Bayern Munich (26 July) in Tokyo next month.Then, on July 30, they meet Atlético Madrid in Seoul in the last game of the pre-season.Pep Guardiola hopes Mateo Kovacic is in his squad for those ties after City agreed to sign the Chelsea midfielder in a debut £25m deal. Meanwhile, Ilkay Gündogan is set to join Barcelona on a free transfer after seven years at City.
De Bruyne is in the middle of his four-year deal with Etihad, which expires in the summer of 2025. After eight years at City, the Belgian hasn’t lost any of his effectiveness, scoring 38 straight goals (10 goals). 28 assists) in 48 appearances last season.Les Bleus have built a squad capable of enduring any absence, although De Bruyne will be particularly problematic over time.
