Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that he still has “very little feeling” in the left side of his face after suffering an acute nasal bone fracture and injuring the eye socket in the Champions League final and avoiding keeping the ball in training to escape further injury.
The 29-year-old had to leave the pitch early in Manchester City’s loss to Chelsea in May after encountering defender Antonio Rudiger. He then underwent eye surgery to remove the possibility of developing double vision later in life.
He missed Belgium’s opening match in Euro 2020 due to injury but came in as a replacement against Denmark and changed the match, getting a goal and an assist in their 2-1 comeback.
Speaking about his return, De Bruyne revealed that he is “happy” not to have to wear a protective mask and is willing to take the necessary precautions, such as not throwing the ball in training, according to the Daily Mail.
“The doctors and coaches know I broke my nose and had a concussion so we’re just being careful,” De Bruyne explained.
“I still have very little feeling on my left side. It’s annoying but OK, I got used to it. At first I was afraid to go into confrontations but when a match starts I’m so concentrated that I do not think about the.
“I knew from the moment it happened, that I could not play the first Euro match. The coach said he wanted me to be a sub against Denmark and then get rhythm by starting against Finland. It is perfect for me.
De Bruyne suffered a fatal injury to Chelsea / Visionhaus / Getty Images
“I’m not angry at Rudiger. I know he wanted to block me but he did not want to hurt me so I have no problem with that. He sent me a message after the match, I replied and it’s long gone.
De Bruyne also discussed his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or and acknowledged that he is “proud” to be part of the conversation.
“I’m proud that people consider me one of the potential winners,” he said. “It means you are mentioned with the best players in the world. That’s what I’ve been working on all my life. It’s nice.”
