According to a report from The Times, Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is set to miss the start of the 2021/22 Premier League season with an ankle injury.
Kevin De Bruyne, 30, arrived at Euro 2020 after recovering from the facial fractures sustained during Manchester City’s Champions League final defeat to Chelsea when colliding with defender Antonio Rudiger. A rotten luck with injuries continued as he suffered an ankle injury during Belgium’s last-16 win over Portugal.
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The 30-year-old midfielder somehow managed to complete 90 minutes in Belgium’s quarter-final defeat to Italy with pain-killing injections and heavy strapping.
However, De Bruyne has reported to City’s pre-season training camp unfit and struggling from injury.
The Times report the Sky Blues are ‘closely monitoring’ De Bruyne’s fitness after the playmaker joined his teammates in the pre-season training camp still ‘feeling pain’ in the ankle that he injured in the Euro 2020.
Last week, De Bruyne paid a visit to renowned surgeon Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona to try and understand the matter behind the injury setbacks. While he’s been cleared to return to training, the Belgian will not be rushed into action as further damage might require surgery and sideline him for several months, the report adds.
The 30-year-old midfielder missed City’s FA Community Shield defeat to Leicester City at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday and is set to remain sidelined for the start of the new campaign. It’s a big shame to see De Bruyne sustaining injuries some or the other way in the last couple of years.
The Belgian international is one of the best players in the Premier League and his importance to Pep Guardiola’s City team simply cannot be explained. He’s been the most valuable player (MVP) for Manchester City under Guardiola, helping the club win three Premier League titles in the last four seasons.
De Bruyne is not the only City player to have returned from Euro 2020 injured. Phil Foden will also miss the start of the new campaign with a foot injury he sustained in training ahead of England’s final with Italy.