Despite Manchester City’s flawless start to the Premier League season, there was still cause for concern as Kevin De Bruyne hobbled off against Burnley in the first half.
Pep Guardiola’s team won easily at Turf Moor thanks to goals from Rodri and Erling Haaland in the first and second halves, respectively, despite Burnley posing a constant danger throughout the game. Even though they were without a number of important players due to injury, the Cityzens completed the task without much of a fuss.
Despite coming off the bench to be substituted by Mateo Kovacic after just 23 minutes, De Bruyne ended up being one of those guys. The Belgian appeared defeated as he exited the field, blaming his poor luck with injuries and probably realizing that he might have to sit out for a while.
After the game, Guardiola acknowledged that De Bruyne had sustained yet another hamstring injury, the same issue that sidelined him in the Champions League final victory over Inter the year before.
Guardiola remarked at the time: “Unfortunately, he got injured again. He will be gone for a while, and it is the same location and position as the Champions League [final].
De Bruyne attempted to recuperate from the issue for the majority of preseason, but the results of the 32-year-old’s scans are regrettably not encouraging. Guardiola acknowledged in his subsequent media obligations that he may need surgery to fix the issue and will be gone for a while, potentially sidelining him from competitive play until 2024.
The defeat will probably drive City into the transfer market, with Lucas Paqueta of West Ham being a viable alternative. Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, and Phil Foden might step in if the team decides to remain with what they have.
All three of Manchester City’s summer friendlies saw De Bruyne go unused as a substitute, and he could only muster a cameo in the Community Shield, missing a critical penalty in the shootout.
Given De Bruyne’s injury history, starting him may have been a risk that Guardiola will now pay for in the upcoming months.
Although De Bruyne has experienced injuries at the Etihad in the past, few have prevented him from playing for longer than a few games at a time. Early in 2021, a hamstring issue caused him to miss seven games, which was his most significant injury while playing for the Sky Blues.
Given that De Bruyne is now 32, it should come as no surprise that concerns about his fitness are increasing as years of extreme physical stress take their toll. Guardiola will be hoping that this is just an isolated incident rather than the start of a concerning pattern.
