Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has been ruled out of Wednesday’s derby at Manchester United, manager Pep Guardiola has said.
The Belgium international’s injury-hit campaign took another turn for the worse as he sustained a hamstring problem in Saturday’s defeat of Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium.
The 27-year-old could feature again this season but Guardiola admits he is unsure when he will be fit again.
PEP 💬 We will see if (KDB) can play one or two more games and next season take care of him.— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 23, 2019
Asked on Tuesday when he might return, Guardiola said: “I don’t know, we will see. It is a muscular problem and we will see in the next days but tomorrow he is not available.”
The clash at Old Trafford could have a crucial bearing on the Premier League title race. City trail leaders Liverpool by two points but the fixture is City’s game in hand.
Guardiola said: “We have four games left and we have to win all four to retain the title. It is not an easy place to go but, at the same time, it is a nice place to go. We know exactly what we have to do.”
