Kevin De Bruyne, who hobbled out of the Champions League match with Inter Milan, is something Manchester City will be anxiously waiting for.
In a match that could ultimately determine who wins the title, City takes on Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. Hence, it was concerning to see Inter’s talisman, De Bruyne, hobble off at halftime and not return for the second half.
Following the game, Pep Guardiola stated that he was unsure of the nature of the problem and that De Bruyne would be evaluated in the days ahead. With the Gunners travelling to Italy on Thursday to play Atalanta in the Champions League, City will have an extra day to prepare for the Arsenal match.
Here are the most recent injury updates from Arsenal and City:
Kevin De Bruyne
Late in the first half of the match against Inter, De Bruyne was hurt while sprinting into the box and custodian Yann Sommer made contact with him to block his cross. He attempted to resolve the problem on his own, but after getting to his knees, he needed physiotherapy. Additionally, he did not play in the second half; Phil Foden took his place.
On Wednesday, Guardiola stated of De Bruyne, “I haven’t talked to the medics yet. I’ll have more details tomorrow. After 35 minutes, I thought that I should make this substitution because of the manner they defended. I was prepared to make this substitution even after the doctor informed me that Kevin was not yet ready to play.”
On Friday, when De Bruyne speaks with the media, the manager probably will provide a more thorough evaluation of his ailment.
Savinho
Savinho was substituted at halftime against Inter Milan as well, having been substituted against Brentford due to a late leg injury. Guardiola attributed that substitution to cramping, and the next several days he trained in preparation for starting against Inter.
Guardiola also hinted that the substitution on Wednesday had less to do with an injury and more to do with strategy, stating that he preferred players who can manoeuvre in confined spaces—like Foden and Ilkay Gundogan, who entered the game—to Savinho’s more direct style.
Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake
Ake will undoubtedly miss the Arsenal match as he is sidelined until the next international break due to a hamstring injury sustained while on international duty.
Similarly, Oscar Bobb is not anticipated to return until December at the latest from his shattered leg.
Martin Odegaard
The captain of Arsenal, Odegaard, had an injury while playing for his country, but Mikel Arteta oddly gave a confusing diagnosis before this weekend’s North London derby. But this week, he has backed up what the Norwegian team doctor had stated a week ago, namely that Odegaard will miss a few weeks of action and won’t be included in the team to play City.
According to Arteta, the scans revealed that he had considerable damage, particularly to one of the ankle ligaments. We are going to be without him for some time because of something quite important.
“He serves as our captain. He has been one of our team’s largest and most effective players. How he acts and plays greatly influences who we are. The team is putting our ability to present a new face to the test.
Additional Arsenal injury concerns
While Mikel Merino, a recent addition, is still sidelined due to a shoulder injury sustained during his first training session, Oleksandr Zinchenko is sidelined with a calf ailment. Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still out with longer-term injuries.
