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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Belgian suffered a fresh hamstring injury during Manchester City’s Champions League clash against Inter in September, which kept him sidelined until their clash against Sporting CP earlier this month. Since his return, De Bruyne has appeared in three matches and has clocked just 38 minutes on the pitch.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The City midfield star has now opened up about his struggles during his time off the pitch as he revealed he ‘couldn’t kick a ball’. Erling Haaland has felt the midfielder’s absence the most as he has managed to score just two goals in his last seven Premier League outings. Haaland’s poor form has impacted the club a lot as they have suffered defeat in their last five matches across all competitions.
WHAT KEVIN DE BRUYNE SAID
Speaking to reporters ahead of the European meeting with Feyenoord, De Bruyne said: “When I came back [from injury] I felt really good in the first five games and then had a thing against Brentford that didn’t feel good but ended up being way worse than I wanted it to be.
“There’s not a lot to say but I couldn’t kick a ball, I could do a lot but I couldn’t move freely to do what I needed to do. During the international break, I moved around to see some people and I’m starting to feel better now. It’s been frustrating but I’m feeling better.”
WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?
Pep Guardiola will hope that his team gets back to winning ways in midweek against Feyenoord in the Champions League, before City travel for their difficult Premier League away fixture against league leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
