Kevin De Bruyne could miss Manchester City’s key clash with Liverpool in February with a small hamstring tear, according to independent podcast Ninety Three Twenty.
The Belgian was subbed off during the side’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, with Pep Guardiola expressing his concern that the issue was muscular.
🚨𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄🚨
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 OUT NOW!
🎙️🗣️ @howiehok3434 + @lloyd_scragg + Ahsan
🚑 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲: KDB has a "small tear" of his hamstring and is a "major doubt" for the LFC match. 2-3 weeks out.
💻 The details 👇🏽https://t.co/dHE7uYIbnr pic.twitter.com/tDrdlcug7q
— Ninety Three Twenty (@9320pod) January 21, 2021
This could prove to be a major blow for the former Barcelona manager – on top of Sergio Aguero’s positive COVID-19 test result – particularly if the outlined recovery period is vaguely accurate.
Advantageous as it would potentially be, we imagine Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool squad will not be asking for any favours as far as injuries are concerned – certainly, neither would we.
With the Premier League title race looking more than likely to be a particularly tight affair this season, the Reds’ hosting of City in February will be a potentially critical tie for Klopp’s men in their bid to retain their domestic crown.
Considering Manchester United’s recent resurgence, not to mention the apparent quality of Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester side, we can’t afford to drop many more points going into the second-half of the term.
Fortunately, the return of Thiago Alcantara – with Diogo Jota only a few weeks away – should put us in good stead.