Manchester City will face Tottenham in their Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight. Pep Guardiola’s side will be hoping for no more injuries as they currently have six players unavailable due to injury. Speaking yesterday Pep Guardiola provided an update on Kevin De Bruyne’s return. While De Bruyne is currently training a return date for the Manchester City legend remains unknown.
Speaking during his pre-game press conference yesterday Pep Guardiola was asked about Kevin De Bruyne’s potential return. The City manager explained that De Bruyne isn’t ready to play and is unlikely to return tonight against Tottenham. The City manager explained: “I would like to tell you, and especially I would like to know it, but I don’t know right now. He feels better in training, but to go to the level we need in competition, when he kicks the ball, sometimes he still has pain. He doesn’t feel right, and Kevin has to feel good to express his huge talent that he has. He’s feeling better, but not the best.”
Pep Guardiola further explained that he needs his players back at 100%. He doesn’t want his players rushing back despite the fact that the Manchester City squad is so depleted. He added: “It’s for sure that if these guys don’t come back as quick as possible, we’ll struggle, because we cannot sustain it on just 14 or 15 players the whole season. We need players to come back, but it is what it is. Hopefully, it can happen after the international break.”
Kevin De Bruyne has now missed Manchester City’s last 8 games with a groin injury. It looks like it could be 9 as he is unlikely to feature tonight against Tottenham. When De Bruyne will return remains unknown which is still a cause for concern for Manchester City despite De Bruyne training for at least the past week.
