- Belgian forced off in Champions League final
- Set for lengthy spell on the sidelines
- Could miss opening of next season
WHAT HAPPENED? The Belgium international midfielder, who will play no part for his country in upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers, was forced from the field during the first-half of a Champions League final outing for City against Inter. He has revealed that a niggling knock had been causing him problems for some time, with that issue coming to a head at the most unfortunate of moments. There has been talk of De Bruyne facing up to three months on the sidelines – meaning that he would miss the start of the 2023-24 campaign – but the 31-year-old is eager to find out what medical professionals have to say before speculating on the length of his latest enforced absence.
WHAT THEY SAID: De Bruyne said when asked for the latest on the problem that cut his evening short as City completed a historic Treble in 2022-23: “I’ve no idea [how long I will be out]. I don’t know what the plan is. I’ll probably take a scan somewhere this week. I’ll be out of the national team 100 per cent, I know that, which is a shame because I would have played my 100th game but, yeah, it is what it is.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: He added on playing through the pain barrier and counting the cost of that decision: “I just try to do what I need to do. I try to be available for my team and I know with the type of player I am there is sometimes a possibility, with all the power and the type of runs I make and the intensity with which I play, that I put my body on the line. But that’s fine. I do everything to win the game. And sometimes it’s hard, yes, but I don’t think of it that way. I want to be ready for the next game and if it happens afterwards that I get an injury it’s fine, I’ll deal with it.
“I actually felt alright this week but I’ve been told for two months there’s a possibility I was at risk but, you know, you take it. I did what I had to do. Obviously I missed some matches but the games like Arsenal, Bayern and Madrid I managed to do it. I had some personal things that happened with my family on top of that and I managed that. I’ve been struggling for two months but it was all small ruptures. Today the hamstring just snapped. I give everything for my team and the people in the club know that. I feel proud that I’ve been able to do what I did. It’s a shame that it went the way it did for me today but we go away winning the Champions League so there’s nothing bad.”
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT? While De Bruyne was not on the field as City completed their Treble triumph, he did play a leading role in the collection of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles – with the two-time PFA Player of the Year registering 10 goals and 28 assists through 49 appearances in all competitions.