Pep Guardiola has revealed that Kevin De Bruyne’s ankle injury “does not look good”, after the Belgian midfielder was forced to limp in Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final.
The 29-year-old became painful just a few minutes into the second half and immediately called to be replaced.
It does not look good for De Bruyne | ADAM DAVY / Getty Images
And Man City boss Guardiola was in a pessimistic mood at the last whistle and told reporters that De Bruyne is in “pain” and that it “does not look good”.
“He’s in pain now,” Guardiola said after their FA Cup final. “Tomorrow they will test, but they tell me it does not look good.”
This news comes as a big blow for Man City and their ambitions to win the Champions League for the first time in their history, with both legs in their semi-final match with Paris Saint-Germain arriving before 5 May.
The midfielder is the most influential player on the team, and his presence and ability on the pitch is unmatched by any of his teammates. Cityzens face very few weeks during their season when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup final on April 25, before going to PSG in Europe.
There will be an anxious wait for Man City | Pool / Getty Images
Fortunately for Guardiola, the Premier League crown is essentially wrapped up, with Man City having an impressive 11-point lead over nearest champions Manchester United – even if the Red Devils have a game in hand.
Cityzens will be forced to sweat over the results of De Bruyne’s tests, with the worst case scenario that he will not present again this season. It could also be worrying news for his national side, Belgium, who will be desperate not to lose their star man for the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament this summer.
