As Manchester City gear up for a game that could prove to make all the difference in the Premier League title race, they could be forced to fight for three points without one of their most influential players.
Man City injury news
Ask any previous title winner and they’ll say that injury luck certainly plays its part where the silverware ends up come the end of the campaign. It is a lesson centred around squad depth that so many sides have learned in the past and one Manchester City took on board the last time they missed out on Premier League glory in the 2019/20 season.
Unlike that campaign four years ago, Manchester City have so far not skipped a beat in pursuit of a fifth Premier League title win in a row to extend an unprecedented record and further cement themselves among the very best – possibly the best – sides that English football has ever seen.
Standing in their way for a third consecutive season, meanwhile, is likely to be Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side, who may have just been handed the ultimate boost on the injury front ahead of this Sunday’s vital clash at The Etihad.
As reported by the Evening Standard, Kevin de Bruyne is now facing a race to be fit for Manchester City’s game against Arsenal this weekend in what could be a major blow for the Cityzens looking to go five points clear after just five games.
The Belgian limped off at half-time against Atalanta and whilst Pep Guardiola remained coy on the severity of the injury, he did admit that the club’s medical staff deemed it serious enough to force the change at the break. Of course, Manchester City have coped without De Bruyne in the past, but in their biggest game of the season so far, they could be left ruing his latest injury blow.
Man City would give Arsenal hope without “unique” De Bruyne
Whilst defeating Manchester City at The Etihad is an almost impossible task, De Bruyne’s potential absence at least gives Arsenal some hope to build on come Sunday’s clash. But Guardiola will be far from fazed without the £400,000-a-week star. After all, his side battled to win a historic fourth title in a row without De Bruyne in the first-half of the campaign, so they’re well equipped to do so again this weekend.
That said, Guardiola was quick to praise De Bruyne on his return to City’s side last season, telling reporters via the Evening Standard: “Kevin helps to win games and there are few (like him) in the world. We can play good football-wise but Kevin, (Erling) Haaland, Phil (Foden), Julian (Alvarez) – these guys win games.
“That’s why it’s so important to have him back. Kevin is exceptional, he is unique. He was a long time out with surgery. His first minutes, the quality of the assist for the Jeremy (Doku) goal – it’s really good to have him back.”
Facing a nervous wait over the midfielder’s injury, Manchester City could be forced to rely on stars such as Phil Foden and the returned Ilkay Gundogan to step up as they have done so many times in the past.
