Pep Guardiola delivers initial assessment of Kevin De Bruyne injury ahead of Arsenal clash | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has offered a first reaction to Kevin De Bruyne’s injury concern ahead of a mammoth Premier League clash with Arsenal.

The Belgian has been on a fine run of form during the opening matches of the brand new season, largely looking back to his very best after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury in August 2023.

De Bruyne said over the summer that he would not only require a run of matches to get back to his best on the field, but also a faultless and injury-free European Championships, and that assessment has turned out to be accurate.

However, his luck may have ran out on a fitness front, having sustained what appeared to be a groin injury during Manchester City’s opening Champions League night of the season, replaced by Phil Foden at the half-time interval against Inter Milan this week.

Speaking after City’s opening European meeting of the campaign, having been held to a 0-0 draw by the Serie A giants on matchday one of the brand new league phase, Pep Guardiola has issued an initial reaction to Kevin De Bruyne’s injury scare.

“I didn’t speak with the doctors yet,” Guardiola first told TV broadcasters after the outing at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

“I don’t know. I didn’t speak with the doctors yet. We’ll assess tonight, maybe tomorrow. I will have more info tomorrow,” Guardiola continued in his assessment of De Bruyne during his post-match media press conference.

De Bruyne’s problem would make it a total of three absentees for the clash against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, should the 33-year-old be unable to play any part in Manchester City’s fifth Premier League encounter of the season.

Nathan Ake is expected to be ruled out of any action until the next international break in October, having sustained a muscular injury during the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Germany earlier this month.

Elsewhere and Oscar Bobb is also not expected to take on any training ground or matchday activities for the foreseeable, having sustained a fractured bone in his leg prior to Manchester City’s opening game of the new English top-flight season back in August.