Pep Guardiola believes he has no reservations about Cole Palmer’s ability as he searches for methods to compensate for Kevin De Bruyne’s hamstring injury, which may keep him out for up to five months.
De Bruyne is scheduled to have surgery in his home Belgium after collapsing early in City’s Premier League opener against Burnley last Friday. City also had to do without their star in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla, which they won on penalties.
Palmer began on the right wing in Athens and scored City’s equalizer shortly after the hour mark, following up his excellent strike against Arsenal in the Community Shield, although rumors connecting the 21-year-old school product with a transfer abroad have continued.
Guardiola said Palmer and others would need to offer explanations as he disclosed concerns that De Bruyne may not be fully fit until February.
“You don’t have to ask how excellent he is,” Guardiola remarked of Palmer. “It doesn’t take two goals in two finals to show how terrific he is.”