Man United boost as City’s Kevin De Bruyne ruled out of Manchester derby

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Kevin De Bruyne will miss the crucial Manchester derby against their neighbours on Wednesday evening, after the Belgian sustained an injury in the 1-0 victory over Tottenham on Saturday.

The 27-year-old midfielder’s campaign has been ravaged by injuries, with successive knee ligament problems forcing him to miss most of the first half of the season. He also missed few matches in March due to a thigh problem.

But De Bruyne hit top form upon his return to full fitness, particularly starring with three assists in Wednesday’s 4-3 Champions League win over Tottenham, though that was not enough to send City into the semifinals.

The Belgian international, however, couldn’t carry on in the first half against Spurs and looked in serious discomfort before being replaced by Fernandinho and going straight down the tunnel.

Guardiola is not certain of the extent of the injury De Bruyne has suffered but has indicated his star playmaker will miss the game against Manchester United.

“I didn’t speak with him or with the doctors. It is a muscular injury and I don’t know how big the impact is. We will see tomorrow [Sunday] but I think the next game he will be out,” Guardiola addressed in his post-match presser. (h/t The Telegraph)

Big boost for Manchester United?

Absolutely! De Bruyne had picked up form of late and proved in the last few games why he is regarded as a complete midfielder. The Belgian is such a classy operator of the ball and knows how to exploit pockets of spaces behind the opposition players.

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The ex-Chelsea man’s absence in the derby will certainly be a boost for Manchester United. But before we think about facing City, let’s win against Everton at the Goodison Park on Sunday.