The Belgium superstar Kevin De Bruyne damaged lateral medial knee ligaments in a freak accident earlier today. De Bruyne left the Etihad Campus on crutches and is being assessed by the club’s medical team. A club spokesman said: “Kevin De Bruyne is undergoing tests on his right knee after sustaining an injury in training.
“The extent of the problem is not yet known and we will provide further updates on Kevin’s condition in due course.” De Bruyne is expected to be sent to see renowned specialist Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona to discover if he needs an operation.
But City boss Pep Guardiola will fear the worst because the injury has happened to the same knee De Bruyne badly damaged back in 2016.
De Bruyne missed 10 weeks of the season after damaging knee and ankle ligaments in an EFL Cup semi-final win over Everton at the Etihad.
Back then the midfielder, 27, missed 12 games and his absence was a huge loss for Guardiola.
This time he could be sidelined for even longer and the news is a cruel setback to City’s chances of defending their Premier League title.
De Bruyne was City’s player of the season last term as Guardiola’s men romped to the league title in record fashion.
He scored 12 goals and provided 21 assists to cement his status as one of the biggest stars in world football.
Guardiola has compared him to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of the influence he has on his side.Kevin De Bruyne made a cameo appearance in the win against Arsenal.
De Bruyne will miss this weekend’s visit of Huddersfield along with upcoming clashes with Wolves, Newcastle, Fulham and Cardiff.
But if City’s worst fears are confirmed he will also miss crunch league showdowns against title rivals Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as the start of the Champions League campaign.
De Bruyne joined City from Wolfsburg in 2015 in a then club record £55m deal that made him the second most expensive signing in British football history.
He has gone on to establish himself as Guardiola’s most important star and was rewarded with a new long-term contract in January worth £220,000-a-week that keeps him at the Etihad until 2023.
De Bruyne started the new campaign high on confidence after helping Belgium reach the World Cup semi-finals, but his momentum has now been brought to a shuddering halt.
De Bruyne turned up to the premiere of Manchester City documentary All or Nothing on crutches. He still managed to join his manager and team-mates at the Vue cinema in the Manchester Printworks.
Following the news, Man City released a statement, saying: “Kevin De Bruyne is undergoing tests on his right knee after sustaining an injury at training on Wednesday. The extent of the problem is not yet known and we will bring you further updates on Kevin’s condition in due course.”
The news is a major blow for City boss Guardiola his aims to defend the Premier League title. He opted not to sign a central midfielder in the summer after missing out on Jorginho, who joined Chelsea instead.