Kevin De Bruyne Causes Injury Concern for Man City Ahead of Arsenal Match

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has indicated that Kevin De Bruyne may not be available for Arsenal’s visit to the Etihad Stadium this Sunday. This uncertainty follows an injury the midfielder sustained during a recent match against Inter Milan.

De Bruyne was substituted at the half-time mark of the goalless draw against Inter. His injury occurred late in the first half while he was attempting to chase a through ball sent by teammate Jack Grealish.

“We’ll assess tonight and I’ll have more information tomorrow,” Guardiola stated regarding De Bruyne’s condition.

The City manager also mentioned that the doctors advised him against letting De Bruyne continue to play, hinting he had considered making the change at halftime even before the injury incident.

“When you are alone and lose easy balls, it leads to counterattacks – it’s impossible to stop it. You have to be more precise. This issue happened primarily on the left side with Kevin. We lost the ball without pressure and when that occurs, they can exploit it,” he added.

Despite the disappointing start to their Champions League campaign with a draw, Guardiola expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance. He acknowledged that Inter Milan created chances, but City also had opportunities, including two late headers from substitute Ilkay Gündogan.

“It’s just the start of the season,” Guardiola reflected. “The displays will improve as time progresses. We played really well. I love my team; we are a fantastic side. Inter are exceptional at defending and are masters of counter-attacks.”

Inter Milan’s best chance came from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, a former Manchester United midfielder, who missed a golden opportunity by shooting over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.

The Inter manager, Simone Inzaghi, praised his team’s performance, stating, “They put in a giant performance. I asked them to play exactly as they did. We all know Manchester City and their capabilities. We understood we had to give it our all and deliver a great match, and we achieved that. When we function well as a team, we can make it difficult for anyone we face.”