At the beginning of Skyfall, as James Bond is cleared for active service at MI5 again after surviving an accidental shooting, Gareth Mallory warns him on his way out the door: "Look, you've been seriously injured. There's no shame in saying you've lost a step. The only shame would be not admitting it until it's too late."
Kevin De Bruyne appears to be facing a similar crossroads at Manchester City, having struggled to build up a rhythm since his return to Pep Guardiola's squad in January. The 32-year-old missed the first half of the season after undergoing surgery on his hamstring, and was handed just his sixth Premier League start at Anfield on Sunday as City played out a thrilling 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
John Stones' opening goal came about because of a brilliant piece of quick-thinking from De Bruyne, but he faded dramatically thereafter, and Guardiola opted to bring him off for Mateo Kovacic in the 69th minute. Although the midfielder was visibly frustrated with the decision, he had no legitimate cause for complaint, with Guardiola saying frankly when quizzed on their subsequent touchline spat: "We were better after."
Guardiola was absolutely right to take De Bruyne out of the firing line. This wasn't the first time he has been caught off the pace this year either, which raises an untimely dilemma for the City boss, who cannot afford to be carrying any stragglers in his bid to deliver a record-breaking fourth domestic crown.
