Jurgen Klopp hopes Kevin De Bruyne’s injury will not affect the title race.
Liverpool made statement signings during the summer and are tipped to challenge Manchester City to the title but the Reds coach believes Pep Guardiola has the depth to cushion him from De Bruyne setback.
“I love this player, I wanted him desperately when I was at Dortmund and he was at Chelsea, but Jose [Mourinho] didn’t give him to me! What a season he had, what a World Cup he played. I really feel for him. They have options, of course, like they always have options, they brought in Riyad Mahrez, but they can all play in different positions.” Klopp said.
“Bernardo Silva can play a bit deeper, Foden can play in positions, Gundogan can play in positions. Nobody needs to worry about Man City and their quality, there is still a lot there. We don’t look at the other teams, we really only try to make the best of our situation, and that will hopefully work,” Klopp explained.
Liverpool will host City in two months time but De Bruyne might not feature given that he might be out of action until mid-November.
His playing style has frequently led to the media, coaches, and colleagues ranking him among the best players in Europe, and has often been described as a “complete” footballer.He was ranked the fourth-best footballer in the world by The Guardian in 2017.
De Bruyne began his career at Genk, where he was a regular player when they won the 2010–11 Belgian Pro League. In 2012, he joined English club Chelsea, where he was used sparingly and then loaned to Werder Bremen. He signed with Wolfsburg for £18 million in 2014, and in 2015 he was named Footballer of the Year in Germany.
Later that year, he joined Manchester City for a club record £54 million. In three seasons with City, De Bruyne has appeared in over 140 matches and won a Premier League title and two League Cups. He had a significant role in City’s quest to become the first Premier League team to attain 100 points in a single season in the 2017–18. Additionally, De Bruyne has been named Manchester City’s Player of the Year, twice, in 2016 and 2018.
De Bruyne made his full international debut in 2010, and has since earned over 65 caps and scored 15 goals for Belgium. He was a member of the Belgian squads that reached the quarter-finals both at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and at UEFA Euro 2016. In 2018 he represented Belgium at the FIFA World Cup, winning the third place play-off match against England.