De Bruyne played only 23 minutes in Manchester City’s 3-0 victory; it was his first competitive start since he had to leave the Champions League final due to an injury to his hamstring.
Guardiola stated during the game that the two injuries are connected and that the midfielder may be sidelined for an extended period of time.
Guardiola stated, “Unfortunately, he’s injured again. He described the issue to me as being in the same situation as it was in the Champions League final. It’s unfortunate since he had healed nicely, but now that we have temporarily lost him, we must think back, consult with the medical team, and investigate what went wrong.
He needs to unwind, recharge, and return. In the opening minutes, he felt terrific and was performing well. Depending on the severity of the damage, it could take a few weeks. Perhaps I made a mistake by playing him, but if he gets hurt after 15-20 minutes, it wasn’t my fault; if it happens after 65 minutes, it’s muscle weariness.
He is down, Guardiola continued. He battled hard to return after the game. He declared, “I prefer to start and make 50-55 minutes,” expressing how terrific he felt. Although he is disappointed, he is resilient and will return.
In a later interview with BBC’s Match of the Day, Guardiola suggested he expects to be without De Bruyne for “a while”.
De Bruyne’s latest fitness concern comes as City continues to chase an expensive move for West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
After a £70 million offer was turned down, West Ham manager David Moyes stated, “We’ve had an offer from Manchester City.” “It doesn’t come close enough to our valuation, so we don’t have to make a decision just yet.
“I made sure he understood where we are and what has been said by explaining it to him. Let’s be honest, Manchester City is undoubtedly one of the football teams in the world that might change your head very easily.