The important thing to the race.
Manchester City have been sweating over Kevin De Bruyne’s health within the final couple of weeks. The midfielder continues to be not again to full health following his four-month lay-off.
Despite beginning 4 of the earlier 5 matches earlier than the Brentford sport since his return from damage, Pep Guardiola needed to fastidiously handle him to stop a relapse.
Alarms went off when the 32-year-old was an unused substitute towards Brentford regardless of City’s struggles to kill off the sport. He didn't take part within the heat up with different gamers earlier than the sport and didn't participate in any warm-ups in the course of the 90 minutes remaining on the bench all through.
With questions being requested, Guardiola confirmed that he couldn't take any dangers with the participant as he had picked up a hamstring drawback.
“We did not use Kevin today because he has niggles in his hamstring position,” Guardiola mentioned. “He’s okay. It’s more caution and prevention than anything. He didn’t feel comfortable and the doctors said there was a little bit of risk. After five months off, we did not take any risk with that.”
Though the midfielder did return in its place towards Bournemouth within the subsequent sport, his affect was minimal.
The massive drawback is the truth that City are coming into a interval within the season through which the group is going through some actually necessary matches. The month of March specifically might be very vital; outcomes towards Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal will most probably outline City’s season so far as the Premier League title race is anxious.
The group has been struggling to interrupt down opposition defenses in latest video games and there’s no higher participant than De Bruyne to resolve that drawback. The Belgian has already made a big affect since his return.
A purpose and 4 assists in his final six video games converse to his significance to the group. Maintaining him match for the reminder of the season might be Guardiola’s largest problem as that would make the distinction between successful or dropping the Premier League title.
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