The previous several weeks, Manchester City has been worried about Kevin De Bruyne’s health. After a four-month layoff, the midfield player is still not fully recovered.
Pep Guardiola had to carefully manage him to avoid a relapse even though he had started four of the previous five games since his return from injury before the Brentford encounter.
Despite City’s efforts to end the game, concerns were raised when the 32-year-old was not deployed as a replacement against Brentford. He did not take part in the pregame warm-up with other players, nor did he partake in any warm-ups during his ninety minutes on the bench.
In response to inquiries, Guardiola stated that he was unable to take any chances with the player because of a hamstring issue.
Guardiola stated, “We did not use Kevin today because he has niggles in his hamstring position.” “He is doing well. Above all, it’s about being cautious and preventative. The physicians acknowledged there was some risk, but he didn’t feel comfortable. We did not take a chance on that after taking a five-month break.
The midfield player didn’t have much of an influence in the following game, despite coming back as a substitute against Bournemouth.
The main issue is that City is about to go into a stretch of the season where some extremely significant games are ahead of them. In terms of the Premier League championship competition, City’s season will probably be defined by its performances against Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal in March, which will be a very important month.
There isn’t a player on the club more qualified than De Bruyne to address the side’s recent struggles against strong opponent defenses. Since his comeback, the Belgian has already had a big influence.
His importance to the club is demonstrated by his four assists and one goal in his last six games. Guardiola’s hardest task may be to keep him healthy for the last stretch of the season, as it might mean the difference between winning and losing the Premier League title.
