Kevin De Bruyne has suffered a fresh injury setback, with the Manchester City midfielder forced to hobble out of a Premier League meeting with Bournemouth.
The Belgium international midfielder has endured a testing time on the fitness front in 2018-19.
Those woes appear set to continue, with the 27-year-old facing up to another possible spell on the sidelines.
He limped from the field against Bournemouth on Saturday shortly before half-time.
An innocuous knock appeared to have been picked up, with De Bruyne laid low after playing a forward pass.
Having tweaked a muscle, he was immediately left in discomfort.
It quickly became clear that he was in no position to continue and Pep Guardiola had to make an unwanted change in first-half stoppage-time at the Vitality Stadium
De Bruyne was able to make his way off unaided, but there was a clear limp as he headed for the touchline.
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Riyad Mahrez was introduced in his place, with City able to console themselves with the fact that they boast star-studded depth to their squad.
They will, however, be disappointed if De Bruyne is ruled out again for any period of time.
He has already nursed his way through two knee problems in the current campaign.
The first of those kept him out for two months at the start of the season, while he also missed several weeks of football from early November to mid-December.
He said after making a second return to action: “I’m happy with my body because I know I have no problems with muscles.
“They were both just accidents, the second time also. I felt my knee and it pops, so you just work hard and try to be back as soon as possible.”
It appears as though De Bruyne may have to adopt that mindset again after picking up another untimely injury.
If he is to undergo another period of rehabilitation, then he could sit out important games on multiple fronts.
City remain in the hunt for a historic quadruple this season, with Guardiola’s side seeking to add Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League prizes to the Carabao Cup they have already secured.
The Blues will also be waiting to discover if John Stones is available for their upcoming fixtures after seeing the England international defender forced off early in the second half against Bournemouth.
