Pep Guardiola reveals extent of ‘serious’ Kevin De Bruyne injury

Pep Guardiola has revealed Kevin De Bruyne has suffered a ‘serious injury’ and will be out for a few months.

The Manchester City midfielder was replaced in the first half of Friday’s Premier League encounter against Burnley with a recurrence of the hamstring issue he suffered in last season’s Champions League final.

De Bruyne struggled with the issue in the final months of the 2022/23, before suffering a serious hamstring injury in June’s meeting with Inter Milan. The problem kept De Bruyne out of pre-season training and he only returned in time for the Community Shield final.

City’s no.17 was handed a start against Burnley five days later, only for the injury to flare up again. Speaking ahead of the Super Cup final against Sevilla on Wednesday, Guardiola said the problem could keep De Bruyne out for a considerable time.

“It’s a serious injury, we have to decide on surgery but he will be out for a few months,” the City boss explained.

De Bruyne’s absence poses a real problem for City, who aren’t blessed with options in central midfield. Julian Alvarez has played in an attacking role in the early weeks of the new campaign, while Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva are alternatives. City have also been linked with a move for West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta.

De Bruyne provided 31 assists for City in all competition last season, as well as scoring 10 goals from 49 appearances. He also formed an instantons partnership with Erling Haaland last season and De Bruyne's absence will be a huge blow ahead of a season where City will compete for silverware on seven different fronts.