New Delhi:
Kevin de Bruyne, a midfielder for Manchester City, will not play in Saturday’s match against struggling Southampton because manager Pep Guardiola is unsure when the Belgian will return from injury, he stated on Friday. After undergoing hamstring surgery, De Bruyne missed five months of the previous campaign. Guardiola dismissed concerns that his current injury might be a long-term issue.
When City tries for a victory that would place it temporarily at the top of the standings, they will also be missing Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, and Kyle Walker. After eight games, Guardiola’s team is one point behind Liverpool with 20 points. On Sunday, Liverpool will visit third-place Arsenal.
Southampton are right above Wolverhampton Wanderers on goal differential with just one point. Manchester City can also go two years without a Premier League loss at the Etihad if they manage to win tonight’s game. After a difficult start to this season, mostly due to illness, Pep Guardiola is certain Phil Foden is getting close to his level from the previous season, when he scored 19 league goals. In Wednesday’s 5-0 Champions League thumping of Sparta Prague, Foden scored after three minutes.
