Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has officially stated that their star midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne, will be sidelined for several weeks due to a recurring hamstring injury sustained during their 0-3 triumph over Burnley on Friday.
The Belgian was substituted off the field after a mere 24 minutes into their first Premier League game of the season against Burnley.
Guardiola disclosed that the player experienced a relapse of the injury he endured in the Champions League final against Inter back in June.
“Regrettably, he has been injured once again. It’s a problem in the same area, as he told me, just like in the Champions League final. It’s a shame because he had made a good recovery, but now he will be absent for a while. Hence, we need to reflect, consult the medical team, and assess the situation.
“He needs to remain calm, focus on his recuperation, and make a comeback. He was feeling good and performing well in the initial minutes. The duration of his absence will depend on the severity of the injury, but it’s likely to be a few weeks. Perhaps it was my error [to field him], but when he gets injured after 15-20 minutes, there’s nothing wrong with the decision, whereas if it happened after 65 minutes, it’s due to muscle fatigue,” Guardiola remarked.
There is uncertainty regarding the precise duration of De Bruyne’s absence this time, but given that he only lasted 24 minutes, Guardiola will not rush the 32-year-old back onto the field.