Pep Guardiola reveals Kevin De Bruyne injury update after Man City win v Brentford

Pep Guardiola has revealed he didn’t play Kevin De Bruyne in Manchester City’s Premier League win over Brentford due to a minor hamstring niggle.

The champions came through a frustrating night and grabbed a vital 1-0 victory thanks to Erling Haaland’s 71st-minute goal at the Etihad. But prior to that, Brentford looked like they could potentially have emerged with a point as City struggled to break down an opposition side who got 11 men behind the ball at every occasion.

As City struggled to find the decisive goal, the cameras repeatedly flicked to City’s creator-in-chief sitting on the bench, but De Bruyne’s services were never called upon. Speaking after the game, Guardiola revealed the Belgian was nursing a knock.

“Today we could not use Kevin because he had niggles in his hamstring and I didn’t want to take any risk. He’s ok. It’s more precaution and prevention. He didn't feel comfortable. The doctors said it was a little risk and after five months off we didn’t take any risk for him.”

De Bruyne missed the first five months of the season due to a hamstring injury that he suffered on the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign, one that required surgery. After returning in January, Guardiola repeatedly stressed the need for the player to be eased back in, to ensure he didn’t suffer a recurrence of the injury.

Meanwhile, asked for his opinion on the match, Guardiola added: “In this type of games like Brentford it is really difficult for us because you can break maybe in transition like Liverpool has done in the last game against us, there are not spaces.

"Last season we lost six points against them. This season, we are fortunate to beat them both [times]. It is such a difficult team because they defend well and from the kick-off, every free-kick, throw-ins, corners, long balls from the keeper is a threat.

"Always you have the feeling they can score a goal. We were there, we were stable, and make a better first half than the Finally we can break and an important three points for us."