‘Not an option’ - Kevin De Bruyne gives update on injury recovery

Kevin De Bruyne has said he cannot put a timeframe on his return to the Manchester City team, as the midfielder continues his recuperation from a long-term hamstring problem.

The 32-year-old initially suffered the injury last season and, after recovering over the summer, started City’s opening game of the Premier League season. However, De Bruyne suffered a recurrence of the problem in the win over Burnley, which required surgery.

Pep Guardiola said at the time that De Bruyne could be ruled out until February with the problem, but also claimed at the start of October that his star man could be back ‘sooner than expected’.

De Bruyne, back in his native Belgium as part of City’s ‘Treble Trophy Tour’ and was asked by local media outlet, HLN Sport, whether he could put a date on his return to the side. 

Everything is going well with me,” City's no.17 replied. “The injury will also be fine, but a return is not an option at the moment.”

Speaking later on Tuesday, De Bruyne gave a further update on his injury, and described his hamstring as a 'wet kitchen towel'.

"It's actually going very well. A control scan will follow next week," he said. "Then we know how the injury evolves. In the end everything goes according to schedule. I was not given a time when I could play football again. City are in daily contact with doctor Geert Declercq (who performed the operation) and Lieven Maesschalck. But they didn't give me a deadline.

"It is important that I get this injury 100 percent right. There were a lot of cracks. Those hamstrings could have torn at any time. It was, on paper, like a wet kitchen towel. Ultimately, I had a major maintenance carried out after 700 matches. A bit like you do with your car."